The End of the Beginning
by CA Crawford
Summary: The war is over, but there are new challenges that await our trio. How will the events of the past year effect their relationships? As they mourn old friends and meet new ones, there are some major changes coming to their lives as they put their pieces back together.
1. Chapter 1

**Volume One**

* * *

"…and the first to reach him were Ron and Hermione, and it was their arms that were wrapped around him, their incomprehensible shouts that deafened him. Then Ginny, Neville, and Luna were there, and then all the Weasleys and Hagrid, and Kingsley and McGonagall and Flitwick and Sprout, and Harry could not hear a word that anyone was shouting, nor tell whose hands were seizing him, pulling him, trying to hug some part of him, hundreds of them pressing in, all of them determined to touch the Boy Who Lived, the reason it was over at last-" Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, page 744

* * *

Harry was sitting underneath a tree in Rome, Italy with his eyes closed just feeling the breeze blow against his face. In the August heat, it felt delightfully cool. Ron and Hermione had stopped at a small ice cream shop for a moment and Harry had gone ahead to the top of a hill for a quiet moment alone.

They had spent the last year on the run fighting a war. Now it was time to catch up on all the life they missed out on. Not to mention that an extra week would be spent in Australia afterwards, putting some lost pieces back in the puzzle.

Ron caught up with him and took a seat next to him in the grass.

"Hey mate, you're a million miles away. What's on your mind?"

"Have you gotten over being bone tired yet?" Harry still hadn't shaken the feeling of being weary down to his core. If he could, he would curl up and sleep for the next two weeks, months, or years..

"Can't say that I have, but then again, it's been like being in another world this week. You'd think a war never happened down here."

They had already been through Paris, had visited the same southern village that Hermione had vacationed at on the Mediterranean coast, and had spent a weekend in Lisbon before passing through Madrid on their way here to Rome. It had been a memorable week and a half with his friends and though they were enjoying the time away, they had yet to get much real rest. They all had trouble sleeping.

Harry had to agree with Ron. The Continent had clearly not suffered as Britain had during Voldemort's reign of terror. In fact, Harry found he was even relatively anonymous. Not that he was complaining. "I envy them. This is what normal life is supposed to be like." He hadn't meant to sound so defeated.

"Cheer up mate. We're still here. It's over now. We won." Ron was trying hard to sound optimistic, but the dark bags underneath his eyes told another tale. Fred's death was still weighing hard on the Weasley clan. Harry certainly could relate. He couldn't go a day without seeing Remus and Tonks being lowered into their graves, holding his godson next to a stone faced Andromeda Tonks.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry changed the subject.

"You know her; she caught a glimpse of some monument or other and had to get the full experience. She'll be up eventually." Ron sounded amused at the very predictable behavior of the third member of their Trio.

"So where are you two exactly? With each other?" Harry hoped he hadn't crossed a line. Ron had never really been one to talk about relationships with him before.

"I'm not sure to be honest. I think we're just enjoying being alive and whole right now. I think she wants to sort it out when we're home. What's on your mind?"

Harry weighed his options in his mind. He had been worried about something for a while, but wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about it. A thought that had crept into his mind once he had been able to think clearly for a day or two. Now that they were here, he figured now was as good a time as any.

"Ron, you and Hermione have a chance for a real life now." Harry took a deep breath, gathering the courage to ask a question he was afraid to know the answer to. "You could have had that ages ago without knowing me. Without Death Eaters wanting to kill you for being my friends. Won't having me around simply be a constant reminder of the hell we've been through?" Harry felt the blood leave his face. He had rarely been this open with anyone about how he felt. Now that he voiced it, it seemed all too real to him that he felt like a walking monument. Reminding everyone why their loved ones wouldn't be joining them any longer.

"Harry…" Ron gave him a concerned look. "You remind me of the very reason I am alive to enjoy this life I have. Why Hermione is still here. A reminder to me and everyone else of why we can sleep at night without wondering if tomorrow is our last day on Earth."

Harry was taken aback. Ron was not prone to emotional speeches. Again, that was Hermione's department. She must have rubbed off on him after all. Regardless, Harry was still unsure of himself.

Sensing his unease, Ron continued. "And Hermione and I both are more grateful than you can believe to have been able to stand by you all this time. Well, most of it for me…." Ron took a moment to examine his shoe laces. "But we wouldn't choose to be anywhere else than by your side."

"He's right you know." Hermione came strolling up to join them. "How many times do we have to give you this speech? We've had seven years. Seven years Harry. We could have had our own life ages ago." Both Ron and Hermione were looking at him now with determined looks. Harry felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"Thanks."

He couldn't muster up anything else to say. Hermione and Ron took a seat on either side of him. It was like they were sitting underneath their tree at Hogwarts again, just with different scenery. The sun sank lower in the sky, setting off a terrific sunset over the city.

Harry wanted to ask them if anything would ever be normal. If the nightmares and constant reminders of what had been lost would ever go away. Ultimately, he decided it didn't matter. He wouldn't be alone for one minute of it.

Harry woke up the next day with a start. He hadn't realized he had been asleep. Sleep usually fled from him.

"Wh-wha'sgoinon?" he very groggily groaned. He was answered by Ron's snoring on the couch next to him. They had both fallen asleep sprawled over the two couches in their hotel suite.

"I hope you'll forgive me." Hermione came walking into the room from the connecting door to her adjoining suite. "I spiked yours and Ron's drinks with some Dreamless Sleep potion last night. I took some myself in my room. We were all exhausted yesterday; I figured we needed some real sleep." She had a concerned look on her face. Harry knew she was worried they would be mad at her for not telling them.

"No, thank you. I hadn't slept like that in weeks." Harry stretched before moving into the kitchen to put on some coffee. He did feel a lot better he had to admit. Ron continued to snore in the living room. Harry thought it best to leave him be.

"Care for a walk? I've been meaning to go to the market." Hermione asked as she accepted a cup of the freshly brewed coffee.

"Sure, let me get ready."

Twenty minutes later they were walking down a narrow street towards the sounds of a bustling market square. There were stands with all sorts of freshly grown vegetables and fruits, along with handmade household items and touristy souvenirs. They walked in amicable silence among the stands as Hermione bought a couple of days' worth of fresh food.

When they returned, Ron had woken and was eating some leftovers from the night before.

"I could get used to this Italian stuff." Ron amusingly said through a mouthful of chicken marsala.

They spent the afternoon in a park on the city's periphery. Hermione sat in the shade of a tree reading a book while Harry taught Ron how to throw a muggle Frisbee.

"You've just about got it. You just have to keep your wrist level." Harry consoled Ron as they took seats with Hermione. Registering their presence, she looked up from her book to give them both a look that said she had something on her mind.

"Well, come out with it then." Ron made a point to dramatically sigh with resignation. Ignoring her friend's teasing, Hermione looked at Harry.

"What are you going to do about Teddy?" Harry frowned. He had been avoiding the thought of his now orphaned godson, as it was a constant reminder of his failure to protect said godson's parents.

"I would guess he will live with Andromeda. He's my godson though, so I intend to do everything I can to be there for him." Harry looked away from Hermione. This conversation was leading him to remember his own godfather. He thought for a brief moment of the life they could have had now with the war over, but he pushed it from his mind.

As if reading his thoughts, Hermione grabbed Harry's hand. "Like Sirius did for you." Unsure what to say, the trio sat in silence for a few moments.

"I'm going for a walk." Harry got up to leave. When he saw his friend's motion to follow him, Harry raised up a hand. "If you guys don't mind, I would rather be by myself for a minute." Looking a bit put out, they both settled back into their seats as Harry walked off. He could hear them start a muted conversation just as he passed out of earshot.

Part of why he wanted to be alone was to give his friends some time without him. The tension between them wasn't suffocating or anything, but he knew they had some things to discuss. If Ron's answer the day before had been any indication, he and Hermione hadn't spoken much since their kiss during the final battle. Harry wanted to give them some privacy. He sometimes felt like he was intruding on them, or that they held back from each other in his presence, probably to make him feel less awkward.

The truth was, Harry was ready for whatever was happening between his friends to be settled. As uncertain as his own future loomed ahead of him, he felt like he owed them the chance to figure out their own. Harry was truly unsure of what he would do upon returning home. Where was "home" anyways? Grimmauld Place? The Burrow? Hogwarts? He could make a case for any of them, but they all had their baggage. Harry felt like what he wanted was a fresh start. A clean slate.

An idea had been forming in his mind. He had never thought he would live to see his twenties. Or that he would ever have a life outside of battling Voldemort. Now that he had the chance, he felt very strongly that he wanted to finally live the life that had been taken from him. An excellent start would be making a home where his chance for a normal life had been stolen from him: Godric's Hollow.

Harry thought that it would be the ultimate victory. The final trophy of the hard fought peace. Building a life where his parent's lives had ended. Not to mention it would be quiet and out of the way. The perfect way to escape the new found pressures of being the savior of the wizarding world for a second time.

He would have to rebuild it, which raised plenty questions of its own. He wasn't sure if he would even be allowed to and he certainly didn't have the handyman skills to do the actual work. He would learn though. This was his life to build. So he would build it, along with his friends of course.

Ginny was another matter altogether. She had wanted to come with him on this trip and Ron had lobbied hard for her, but Harry had only wanted his two closest friends. It wasn't that he didn't want to be around her, at least he didn't think so; he just wanted to be with the only two people who understood everything he'd been through the past year. He felt relatively sure that when he returned to England that he wanted to be with her, but he no longer really knew why and that bothered him.

His mind wandering and missing his friend's company already, Harry made his way back to the tree. He had made a full circle around them, so he would be approaching from behind them this time. As he drew closer, their conversation was carried to him on the wind.

"..then what did it mean Hermione?" Ron sounded rather angry. Great, Harry thought, at least the tension won't be so bad when they refuse to be in the same room later.

"It meant that I loved you Ron. I do love you." Hermione sounded like she was fighting back tears. "It's just…now…it's not a good time."

"I just thought, when you kissed me that we could finally be together. Be us."

"Ron, I do want that. Please listen to me. It's just not the right time yet. I don't even have parents to introduce you to and you're family is still reeling from Fred…." Her voice cracked on the last syllable. "We've waited this long, is it really that terrible to wait a little longer?"

Harry stopped a little ways off; he didn't want to end up in the middle of another argument between his two best friends.

"I….I get that Hermione I do. But maybe I need this. Did you think about that?"

"Ron….I want so badly to make you happy. I wish I could give that to you, but I need just the opposite. I need you to be my friend until I can get my life back together. Until we can all get our lives back together."

Ron stood up from his seat. "I'm going for a walk."

"Ron, please don't go. Don't do this again…"Hermione was pleading with him.

"So we're bringing this up again eh? Why can't we move past it Hermione?" Ron was getting angrier. "Every time you have to bring that back up and throw it in my face again! Do you forgive me or not?"

"Ron, I'm trying to forgive you. It doesn't help that here you are about to do it again!" Hermione was clearly in tears now. "I need you to stay here with me and you're just going to walk away and sulk! You know what? Go! Just go Ronald!"

Hermione was on her feet now. Without another word Ron stormed off in the direction Harry was standing. When he passed by Harry, Ron gave him a withering look and muttered something like "Mental. Makes no sense." before walking off in the direction Harry had come. Hermione had fallen to her knees and was crying by the tree.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hermione?" Harry was careful to approach her slowly, ready to back off in case she didn't want company.

"Hey Harry." Hermione took a shuddering breath. "I'm sorry, we just…" and she plunged her face into his shoulder and started crying. She stayed this way for a few minutes before she seemed to gather herself.

"I'm sorry Harry. I know we shouldn't be fighting. I thought we had agreed to not talk about any of this until we got back to England." Hermione sat up and brushed the tears off her cheeks with her sleeve. She stood up and started pacing back and forth in front of Harry.

"Don't apologize Hermione. You can't just put your life on pause."

"Don't tell me you actually agree with him?" She rounded on Harry, giving him a look that would probably melt a man on the spot if it had been anyone else.

"No Hermione, that's not what I meant." Harry sighed. He was trying to keep his cool. Shouting wasn't going to help things. "I meant that if you and Ron have stuff to work through then you can't just press pause and deal with it later."

"Isn't that what you did when you told Ginny she couldn't come?" Hermione shot him a filthy look. It hit Harry a little closer to home than he'd ever care to admit.

"That was different."

"How Harry? How is it any different?"

"For one, she didn't spend the year living on the run like we did. Not that Hogwarts was a cakewalk mind you, but I thought we were the ones who needed to get away. You told me that yourself."

Hermione seemed to deflate a little at Harry's logic.

"Not to mention that ultimately it came down the fact that I wanted you two with me. Not her. You're the ones I can barely stand to have out of my sight, not her."

Hermione's eyes went tender at this statement. "Harry…"

"It's true and you know it." Harry was stating a fact. Even the moments he thought he wanted to himself usually turned into fitfully finding his way back to them.

"Well it's pretty hard to stay mad at you when you say things like that." Hermione took a seat next to Harry again. "Thank you. Though, you probably shouldn't tell her that you feel that way about me."

"Why's that?"

"Let's just say Ron is not the only Weasley to have a little green monster."

Harry sighed. The jealousy the Weasleys was really tiresome. "Don't they think that if there was anything between us that we would have acted on it by now?"

"Well, maybe we wouldn't have." Hermione answered simply. Harry wasn't sure he followed her and it must have showed on his face. "Sometimes is takes people awhile to figure these things out Harry. I'm not saying that's what is happening with us, but it does happen. I'm just trying to say that they're not exactly being _that_ unreasonable."

Harry frowned; he had not been expecting Hermione to defend Ginny and Ron like that. Hermione again picked up on his train of thought.

"I'm not exactly defending them Harry. They still are too overbearing and jealous when it comes to you and me, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be more aware of how we act around each other sometimes."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes. Harry was unsure about what Hermione had said. He didn't think it was fair that he and Hermione had to change anything when they both had done nothing to prove that they were disloyal to their respective partners. Deciding to put the thought aside for the moment, Harry stood up. It was time to find Ron.

"Do let him know how much I care about him." Hermione looked up from a book she had started reading with a concerned air about her.

"I will. I'll be back once he's cooled off. Just promise me you two will try and work this out."

Hermione gave Harry a look he didn't quite understand. "Okay Harry."

Unsure exactly what was going through Hermione's mind, Harry set off in the direction Ron had left. After walking for about ten minutes, he eventually found him sitting on a bridge. Dropping rocks into the stream below him.

"Keep it up and you'll damn the whole creek up." Harry tried to lighten the mood. It didn't seem to work.

"She would have died with you." Ron's voice cracked, like he had been crying.

Harry already was alarmed at where this conversation was going.

"Ron, we've all risked our neck for each other more than we can count. She would die for you in an instant and she still would. So would I, for the record."

"You don't get it Harry. She said it herself. She would have gone into the Forest with you. She would have died _with_ you Harry. She'd rather die with you than live with me."

All the blood left Harry's face. He had no idea how to respond to what Ron had said. Filing it away for further thought later, he knew that for the sake of his friend, he had to think of something.

"Ron…" Harry started, trying to feel his way out of this. "Ron you know she didn't mean it like that. She's my best friend, just like you. She knew that I wouldn't have ever asked you guys to go with me, but that all the same I had no desire to be apart from you forever. That was simply her way of saying that she didn't want our trio broken up either. I know you felt the same way, even if you didn't say it. Because I would feel the same way if our roles had been reversed and so would she."

Ron lifted his face to look at Harry. There was a deep well of hurt inside of them. Ron seemed to be scrutinizing Harry's face.

"A part of me believes you. I really do, but another part of me thinks that you just don't see what I do." Ron turned his face down to look at the water again, a fresh tear leaving his eyes.

"Ron, she loves you. You know that right?"

"I don't question whether or not she loves me mate, I question whether or not she loves you more."

"Ron how could you…" but Ron didn't let him finish.

"She fancied you before. Did you know that?"

"Well Rita has always been known for pin point accuracy.."

Ron looked at Harry and then laughed. "Boy you really can be thick Harry. It's not that. Everyone could see it. I knew it even before she told me so herself."

Harry could feel his face heating up. "When was this?"

"She told me during fifth year, but it started before that. Don't you remember how she was during fourth year?"

"Fifth year?" Harry was flabbergasted. He had spent most of that year in a dysfunctional relationship with Cho or being a borderline nutter. Fourth year was a daze of simply making it from one task to the next. Sure Hermione had helped him immensely, giving up loads of time, but she had been mad at Ron for not asking her to the Ball. He had always assumed she was just being the amazing friend to him that she always was. Where in all of that did he miss that Hermione was interested in him? Ron almost seemed genuinely amused at Harry's lack of knowledge on the subject. Harry straightened his thoughts out, determined to bring the conversation back to Ron.

"Well, I never knew she felt that way and it doesn't matter. We're not in fourth or fifth year Ron. We're in the here and now. And here and now _you_ are the one she wants. I've never lied to you about how I felt about her. I never wanted her in that way."

The silence hung on the air too long for Harry's liking. Ron seemed lost in thought.

"I know Harry. I'm grateful to have a best mate like you." His expression softened.

"Ron, you're my best mate, you've given me the family I never had. You've been with me through thick and thin." Harry raised his hand to stop Ron's retort, "No Ron I mean it. I told you to leave that night didn't I? It was as much my fault as yours what happened that night."

Ron opened his mouth but said nothing. "I have more to be reason to be grateful for you than you for me." Harry quietly finished.

Harry didn't wait for him and turned to make his way back to Hermione. Ron's footsteps behind him told him that he was following a short distance behind. While it wasn't exactly what he had in mind when they planned this holiday, Harry supposed that it made sense for all three of them to work through some things while they could. The more he thought about it, the more Harry realized had happened in the short year since they had left on the Horcrux hunt and the more sense it made that they wouldn't be able to simply ignore it all until they returned. Maybe it was good that they got away from the pressures of home to sort through everything.

They found Hermione once again wrapped up in her book. Before anything else could be said, Harry quickly suggested that they return to the hotel to loaf around for the rest of the day. Not hearing any arguments he led them down the road to return.

When they got back to the room, Hermione retired to her veranda to continue reading her book while Ron stretched out to watch television. He had a new found fascination with muggle sitcoms. Harry retreated to his own room.

He stretched out on the bed lost on thought. He was disturbed by Ron's attitude about Hermione.

 _I'll go with you._

He had barely been able to comprehend her words at the time. Barely able to accept what she meant. In hindsight, he felt terribly guilty that he had never said anything back to her. To show her how grateful he was to have a friend like her.

Surely she didn't mean it like Ron had said. Harry couldn't bring himself to think that Hermione was choosing him over Ron.

 _Again._

The thought occurred before he could stop it. But he wouldn't let his mind go there. She wasn't choosing him over Ron. It had never been that way.

But then what had Hermione been trying to get at? The more he thought about what she had said about "people taking awhile to figure these things out" the more mystified he became. What was that supposed to mean? Why was she defending the Weasley children for thinking there was something between them?

And what about what Ron had said about Hermione fancying him? Why had she never said anything? Had he really been so daft as to never recognize that his best friend had feelings for him?

Harry didn't like where this line of thinking was taking him. He forced himself to think about Ginny. About how he could finally be with her without having any fear for her safety. They could finally be a normal teenaged couple.

Oddly, that prospect didn't affect Harry the way he thought it would. It was a pleasant thought for sure, but it wasn't the wonderful end game he had thought it would be. In fact, Hermione had been a lot closer to home than she thought when she accused Harry of avoiding Ginny.

It wasn't that he actively didn't want to be around her. What few moments they had had together before the Trio had left were nice enough. Even with the Weasley family in mourning over Fred. He had comforted her as best he knew how and even found comfort in being with her. But something was missing. She no longer made his stomach do somersaults or awakened that creature in his chest. It wasn't that he no longer found her attractive either. She was as pretty to him as ever. There just wasn't anything beyond that.

He didn't understand it. He had spent the months on the run thinking about her, missing her, wanting nothing more than to be with her. She had been the last thing he thought of when he gave himself up to Voldemort. It should have been his dream come true to finally be with her, but something just wasn't there anymore. Instead of their grief bringing them together, it seemed to be pushing them apart. Harry felt guilty that Fred had died fighting a battle for him. He wondered if perhaps, deep down, Ginny blamed him as much as he blamed himself.

Harry pushed all these thoughts aside. Ginny would never think that. He could here Hermione's voice in his head telling him that Fred didn't die for him, that he had made his own choice and that Ginny surely saw it that way.

With that thought in mind, Harry drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Ron may have been looking at the television, but his mind was a million miles away. His latest fight with Hermione wasn't the worst they had ever had, but it was perhaps the most frustrating to him.

Everything had seemed to finally come into place. She had kissed him. It seemed like he would finally get the girl he had longed for. He knew he hadn't always deserved her, but she was finally his.

Or so he thought. He had barely had time to cherish his victory when his whole world seemingly crashed around his ears. His best friend in the whole world was going to walk to his death and the woman he cared about more than any other wanted to go with him.

He couldn't even blame Harry. He hadn't asked. Ron knew he never would have. Harry was far too noble for that. Ron could even see in the look Harry gave him over Hermione's shoulder. Take care of her. He meant all along to go alone. On top of it, Ron truly cared for Harry. Loved him like any of his other brothers. Ron didn't want him to go either.

 _I'll go with you._

Four words that rocked Ron to the core. Just when he thought she had chosen him once and for all, she proved him that Harry would always come first. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he could see that Harry had always come first to her.

She chose to help Harry over him (and Krum) during the Tri-Wizard Tournament, she wanted Harry (not Ron) to be Prefect with her, she chose Harry when Ron had left during the Horcrux hunt, and she had chosen to die with him over continuing to live with Ron.

 _But she kissed you. Not him._

The thought comforted him. Maybe it was his own fault. Ron would be the first to admit that he wasn't always the best friend to her or Harry. There had been plenty of times when he put his own selfish considerations over theirs, coming to a head whenever he walked out on them that night right when they needed him most.

He had tried to tell himself that it was just the Horcrux that led him to do it. Tried to convince himself that he was at least somewhat justified in his actions. But he knew deep down that he was perfectly in his right mind when he walked out. It was his choice and he had been wrong. He wasn't sure that he would ever live it down to either of his friends.

But they had welcomed him back with open arms. Harry had said today that he was as much to blame as Ron. Though the exact words had never been said, he knew Harry had completely forgiven him. It did much to quell the fears that had been gnawing at him.

Ron stood in the entrance way looking at Harry. He had spent so long harboring jealousy for his best friend. Secretly, he had always eyed Harry's wealth, fame, and talent with envy. He was everything Ron had always dreamed of being. He hadn't realized when he walked into that compartment on the Hogwarts Express first year that he was adding yet another person in his life he wouldn't live up to. Another shadow to live in. As if his brothers hadn't been bad enough.

Thinking of his brothers brought a twinge of pain. It still hurt Ron deeply that he would never see Fred again. But the pain brought forth a new determination in him. Losing Fred and thinking he had lost Harry had broken him of the illusion that people would always be there. He decided right then and there that he was done looking at people he loved and wishing he had their life. He would be grateful for the family and friends he had and he would live his life. His life. Not settling for sulking enviously in someone else's shadow.

Harry was far from perfect. Hell, nobody was perfect. But he was the best friend Ron had. He had always been able to count on Harry.

Hermione, well she was Hermione. The girl drove him mad, in more ways than one. She was stubborn, emotional, and bossy. She was also loyal to a fault, compassionate, kind, and bloody brilliant. Maybe she was having a harder time with what had happened than Harry, but that made sense with what was at stake for her personally.

A warm feeling spread through Ron's chest. No, his friends weren't perfect, but he wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

* * *

Hermione was purposely engrossing herself in the book in front of her. Any other time, her trusty Hogwarts: A History would have given her a welcome escape from her troubles. Now however, she couldn't get her mind off her last fight with Ron.

It wasn't that she didn't want to be with him. Well, it wasn't entirely because she didn't be with him. Truth be told, Hermione was as confused as she had ever been about her feelings regarding her two closest male companions.

On the one hand, she truly did love Ron. There was a reason she had kissed him in the Chamber of Secrets. She hadn't been trying to move towards a relationship with him since second year for nothing. She genuinely felt like he did lover her, even if he couldn't always express it like she hoped. She was willing to overlook his flaws and see that he really was a good man. While a life spent with him would surely have its moments, it was nothing to sneeze at.

On the other hand, recent events had made her question her feelings for Harry. There had been times when the thought had entered her mind. While it had clearly been under strenuous circumstances, she had to admit that their ride on Buckbeak to rescue Sirius was perhaps the most romantic thing she had experienced in her life to this point. The Skeeter article, while inaccurate, had also made her wonder what it would be like. She had even dared herself to kiss him at King's Cross to see what would happen.

Since then, he had made it obvious by his inaction that he only thought of her as his best friend. Considering just how far Harry's friendship went, this too was nothing she took for granted. So she settled into her role with Harry while working to cultivate her relationship with Ron.

Then, just when she thought things were going to turn out alright, she found herself confused all over again. At Bill and Fleur's wedding, she was completely caught off guard when she found herself looking at Harry, not Ron, with a huge smile on her face and tears in her eyes as they were bonded. It happened so fast she hadn't even realized she was doing it until the emerald in Harry's eyes alerted her to it. It had been so long since she had thought about Harry that way. Why look at him now? Feelings she didn't even know she had rushed to her in a whirlwind that was only compounded by Ron's unexpectedly dancing with her. She had almost been glad for the distraction that the Death Eaters had provided for her whirling mind.

Then there was that night in the forest when Ron left them. Left her. She remembered vividly walking among the trees, getting soaked to the bone while she desperately called him to come back. She remembered crying herself to sleep at night, crying into her pillow to keep Harry from hearing her. She remembered literally feeling pain in her chest as she relived him storming out the tent.

When she hit her lowest point: frustrated with their lack of progress, saddened by Ron's departure, and depressed by the overall feeling of losing the war; Harry brought her a ray of hope. When he danced with her that night, it had done much more than he realized. It reminded her of what was important. They were alive, they were fighting, and Harry was still there. It brought her hope when she needed it most.

There was the night in Godric's Hollow, sharing that intimate moment with Harry before the graves of his parents. She had known that placing the wreath for them had been the right thing and that it was exactly what Harry needed. She always could tell what he needed, even when he didn't say anything.

There was the nightmare of Nagini and Voldemort. Saving Harry's life by the slimmest of margins and praying over his thrashing form that he wouldn't leave her. It was then, while she desperately tried to nurse him back to health, that she began to realize that her feelings for him were stronger than she cared to admit.

Then, out of the clear blue sky, Ron was back. Though deep down she had been over the moon about him returning, she had rightly let him know just how much he had hurt her. How ridiculously irresponsible he had been to leave his friends when they needed him. In spite of it, she determined herself to rekindle what had been lost with Ron. She knew that Harry had spent plenty of nights staring at Ginny's dot on the Marauders Map, so despite what the past few weeks had revealed to her, she refused to allow herself to reach for what she couldn't have.

There was that one shining moment, in the Chamber of Secrets, when it all seemed clear to her that Ron could be the man she hoped him to be. When he had brought up the house elves, it was like the final piece moving into the puzzle of her mind that what she was seeking with Ron was right. It took her a fraction of a second to rationalize trying to snog his brains out right then and there.

It was wonderful, everything she had hoped it would be. It didn't even faze her that the displeasure in Harry's voice was more serious than the excuse he gave. It didn't have to do with the battle currently raging and Hermione knew it. In fact, she had a brief moment of smug satisfaction in knowing that perhaps he was finally wising up to what he had missed.

Then her whole world was turned upside down yet again. There was that awful moment when she realized that Harry meant to die, that moment when she knew without a shadow of doubt that she had no desire to live her life without Harry James Potter.

 _I'll go with you._

There was nothing else for her to say. If Harry meant to die, she meant to die with him. She briefly lost the ability to breathe as she grasped him in pure desperation. She never wanted to let him go. But Harry was far too noble and cared far too much for her to let it happen.

So she watched him walk away. She was vaguely aware of Ron's presence, of his attempts to comfort her. Her world was over. She stood in the entrance hall and prayed beyond hope that somehow, someway, Harry would come back.

Then she spotted him in Hagrid's arms. It was right then and there that she decided that she had no desire to survive. She would die fighting and she would take as many Death Eaters with her as she could. A world without Harry was not worth living in, even if they had somehow won.

Harry of course, true to form, had evaded death yet again and when Voldemort finally crumpled to the ground dead; a joy filled her heart that she knew might never be matched. Harry was alive and the long dark night was finally over. They could finally live a life without wondering if each day would be their last.

That brought her to now. She hadn't really been lying to Ron. She really was worried about getting her parents back. She really did want to simply enjoy being alive and being with her two best friends. She really did think that now of all times was not the time to enter into a relationship when her heart was so conflicted.

She didn't doubt that she loved Ron. She had pursued him almost since she first arrived at Hogwarts. What she doubted was whether or not there was someone she loved more. She even doubted now if she was wrong to feel that way about Harry. She knew he was hiding something about him and Ginny. She knew him too well for him to fool her. Maybe he wasn't as in love with her as Hermione thought he had been. Maybe there was a chance….

"No." she caught herself say out loud. As long as there was a chance for their current relationships to work, she wouldn't give up just yet. Harry was her best friend. You were supposed to feel that way about your best friend. Harry for sure felt the same way about her and he had chosen to go out with first Cho then Ginny. There wasn't anything to confuse.

She had been chasing Ron for years and had been driven crazy by him in every way possible. There was nothing like the adrenaline that rushed through her when they got into heated arguments (or kissed for that matter) and despite how much of a prat he could be he was loyal, brave, and cared deeply for her.

As impossible as it seemed to her, she was wrong. It didn't make any sense to push him away now that he was finally hers to have.

Well, at least she could make his day tomorrow. She knew she was never going to hear the end of it when she admitted to him that he was right.


	4. Chapter 4

Ron was on cloud nine.

He had gone to Hermione to talk to her, but she had shushed him the moment he opened his mouth. Instead of talking about their fight, they ended up making out on the couch in Hermione's suite.

Reluctantly pulling apart after twenty minutes or so, Ron finally asked the question. "Um, what in the blazes just happened?"

"This is me admitting to you that I was wrong. We should be….we are together Ron."

"Whoa…..do mine ears deceive me?" he couldn't help grinning ear to ear.

"Don't let it go to your head." She teased.

"I tell you what, I'll keep it our little secret. But you owe me." Ron gave her a wicked grin.

"Boys." Hermione shook her head, but couldn't hide her own grin.

There wasn't a whole lot of talking after that.

* * *

Harry noted that Ron and Hermione looked quite disheveled when they emerged from her suite later that evening.

"I see you two have patched things up." He grinned at the pair of them. Hermione blushed and Ron sheepishly grinned back.

"What's for dinner?" Ron changed the subject.

"I thought we could order in. Just relax." Harry answered.

"Sounds great. There's a room service menu in the kitchen." Hermione seemed glad for the change of topic.

After a huge meal that left them all fit to bursting, the trio moved to the balcony to watch the sunset. Harry and Ron sat on either side of Hermione. They sipped on wine and swapped childhood stories.

Harry mainly listened, not really having much from his childhood to share. This was what he cherished most: the three of them together. Just being. They weren't doing anything special or out of the ordinary, but Harry wouldn't have it any other way. If this was what life was going to be like from here on out, then he was in for a pleasant ride.

"What's got you smiling?" Hermione chuckled.

"Nothing at all." Harry answered, matching her smile with one of his own.

"What do you think life is going to be like, you know, when we go back?" Ron asked.

"Well, we all know Harry here is going to be quite famous." Hermione playfully swatted his arm. "But then again, I think all three of us will have a little more attention than we're used to."

Ron shook his head. "Maybe I'll publish a memoir. Detailing what it's really like to live alongside The Boy Who Lived. I'm sure the world would love to know about the time you ate a snot flavored Every Flavored Bean and vomited spectacularly all over poor Neville's charms book."

All three of the laughed.

"Or perhaps they want to hear about having the most awkward mistletoe kiss ever." Ron could barely finish through his own laughs. Hermione in particular thought that one hilarious. She was in tears.

"Haha." Harry intoned sarcastically, "I be the world would love a picture of Ron dancing on the table at the Three Broomsticks."

Harry grinned wickedly at Ron who looked like he had been struck by lightning. Hermione had stopped breathing she was laughing so hard.

"Y-you said there was no film in that camera." Ron looked horrified.

They had all gotten pretty sloshed at the official Gryffindor victory party. It had went on for two days and spanned the common room and both Hogsmeade pubs. Ron in particular had been quite the entertainment.

"H-he had the d-dumbest grin!" Hermione gasped between fits of laughter. Ron had turned as red as his hair.

"Yeah, he was blissfully unaware that Ginny had used a sticking charm on his chair. Quite gracefully leaving his pants behind when he mounted the table."

Harry now was laughing as hard as Hermione, who was overcome by a coughing fit. Thumping her on the back, Ron suddenly grinned at Harry.

"Of course, I could tell about a certain Mr. Potter who may or may not have…."

"You swore!" Harry countered, horrified that Ron would bring up his own shenanigans from the party.

"Oh you're not getting off that easily. If I get nailed for dancing half naked on a table, you get hammered for kissing Neville….ARRGGHH!"

Harry had jumped across Hermione and tackled Ron. They wrestled for twenty minutes with Hermione egging them on, all three laughing the entire time.

They eventually settled back into their places and sat in companionable quiet for hours on end. Simply enjoying each other's company. The sun had long sank beneath the city skyline when they each retired to their warm beds.

* * *

Harry had returned to the balcony at about five in the morning. After peacefully falling asleep following the events of the previous evening, he was awoken by another nightmare. This time, the one he kept having about Fred's vacant eyes had found him waking up in a sweat. Knowing sleep wouldn't be coming back any time soon he had moved to the balcony to gaze over the slowly stirring city.

"Couldn't sleep?" a soft voice asked behind him.

Harry had a brief struggle in his mind over how to respond, but eventually convinced himself that if anybody understood it was Hermione. "'Nother nightmare." He replied as Hermione took a seat next to him.

"Who was it this time?"

"Fred."

Hermione squeezed his arm. "Harry." The compassion in her voice left no other words necessary. They sat that way for a few moments before she spoke again.

"You know these won't last forever right?" She was looking at him now. Sadness filling her soft brown eyes.

"I know. It's just.." Harry choked back a sob, "They're gone Hermione. Fred, Colin, Tonks, Remus.." and with that he couldn't fight it any longer. The dead pressed in on every side of his heart. He sobbed uncontrollably. He had never lost control before. There had always been a reason to soldier on, to put on the brave face and keep going.

Now? There wasn't anything to stop him. Hermione wrapped her arms around him and he sobbed onto her shoulder. She didn't say anything and she didn't have to. Her being there was enough.

"H-Harry?" Hermione's voice choked after Harry had spent himself.

"Yes?"

"Do you remember what you told me? About seeing your parents, Sirius, and Remus in the Forest?" Harry nodded his head. "You know that they're still here right? They told you they would be. Remember how they were happy? How much younger Remus and Sirius looked?"

Harry lifted his head to look at Hermione. Her eyes too were red and watery with tears.

"Yeah, I do."

Hermione smiled. "Don't you know that Fred is with them too? And Tonks, Colin and all the others? They're there too Harry. They would say the same thing Remus said: they hoped to make the world a better place."

Hermione looked for a split second like she would lose her composure, but gathered herself and continued: "And they did Harry. Together, they did it. The world is a better place because of what they gave."

Hermione took his hands in hers. "You know that don't you?"

Harry looked away over the city, the streets slowly coming to life under the pink early morning sky. He thought of the Hogwart's Express full of students, of Bill and Fleur at Shell Cottage, and of Diagon Alley full of patrons; all of them going about their business, no longer a pallor of fear hanging over them. Smiles and cheery greetings replacing the heavy silence and weary looks of the past two years.

When he looked back he saw that Hermione was still looking at him. She was still smiling and there was a softness in her eyes that Harry had never seen before. He had never felt so cared for his whole life as he did now, seeing Hermione look at him that way. He couldn't help but smile back and chuckle to himself.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, and yes I know." Harry gave her hands a squeeze. "What ever would I have done without you Hermione Granger?"

It was Hermione's turn to laugh. "Well we both know you would have died at least once a year."

Harry wasn't sure if it was the hour or how emotionally fragile they were, but they both laughed and laughed. They laughed until their sides hurt tears of a different kind poured from their eyes.

When they had sufficiently recovered, he helped her to her feet and they both stood together just enjoying the view and the company.

"You know I've never thanked you."

"And you never needed to."

"Well I am now. Thank you, Hermione. Thank you for looking out for me. For saving me more times than I can count. There have been so many times I've been so ungrateful for you."

They both looked at each other for a long time. Hermione seemed to be thinking hard and looked on the verge of saying something. Harry held her gaze, willing her to tell him what it was. After what could have been minutes, days, or years she simply lifted her hand and gently pushed a wild strand of his hair behind his ear.

"Harry."

There was something in her voice, something he could see in her eyes that he had never seen there before. He felt warmth spread from his head to his toes. He felt so many things at once: contentment, belonging, wholeness, and just a feeling of right. He wasn't sure why he felt all these things, but he knew he never wanted it to end.

After what seemed like an eternity to Harry, Hermione gave his hand one last squeeze before she turned and walked back inside. Harry watched her close the door to her room behind her and felt a strange uneasiness wash over him. He didn't know what had just happened, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something inside of him had shifted.


	5. Chapter 5

The trio awoke the next day and after a light breakfast, boarded the first in a small series of trains that would take them from Rome to Vienna. When the appropriate privacy charms had been cast, they settled into friendly games of exploding snap or wizard chess. If Harry didn't think too hard it was almost like when they were riding the Hogwart's Express in their school days.

It was while he was on this train of thought that Hermione looked up from the chess game she was losing badly to Ron.

"Do either of you think you're going to return to Hogwarts? You know…finish our education?"

Ron and Harry exchanged looks. "I'm not sure Hermione. It just won't quite be the same now will it?" Ron offered. They all knew he was talking about Fred. "Besides, do you really think we need it?"

"Well, depending on what you want to do, a lot of careers are going to want N.E.W.T's. They're not exactly going to just hand us whatever career we want."

Harry had to admit she had a point. "I might go back. After all, I don't really have anywhere else to go." It was the truth. Harry had no desire to return to Grimmauld Place or Privet Drive and any plans he had for his parent's home would have to wait.

"We could get a flat." Ron offered.

"What about the Burrow?" Hermione asked him as her last pawn was getting throttled by Ron's queen.

"As much as I love my family, it's time for me to move out. It's just been…suffocating there lately." Harry hated how almost any conversation turned into a conversation about the war's aftermath.

Hermione gave Ron a concerned look before continuing. "Well, if we went back to Hogwarts, we could at least be together until we figured out what we're doing."

That comforting thought seemed to end the discussion. It was quiet except for the sounds of the chess pieces moving as Ron tried to corner Hermione's king. Harry couldn't decide if he wanted to talk to his friends yet about Godric's Hollow just yet. Maybe they should figure out exactly what they're all going to be doing first.

Ron seemed to sense Harry's disquiet and had other ideas. "Something on your mind mate? Checkmate Hermione."

Hermione pushed her king over before looking at Harry expectedly. Harry had to give it to his friends, it was increasingly hard to get anything by them.

"Well, we were talking about places to live, and I have just been thinking…"

"About Godric's Hollow." Hermione finished for him.

"Er….yeah." Harry added lamely.

Ron had a puzzled expression on his face. "What? Your mum and dad's place? Or somewhere else in the village?"

"I want to rebuild my mum and dad's."

Ron and Hermione both gave him a knowing look. "Well, we're more than happy to help. Though, I don't know that either of us will be much help at first."

Hermione's expression brightened. "Well we'll just have to learn won't we?"

"Thanks guys. It means a lot." Harry didn't feel the need to go into all his reasons why. They probably knew anyways.

When they had reached Vienna, they settled into their hotel. It was a similar setup to their last one. Side by side suites: one for the boys and one for Hermione. Harry had burned through quite a bit of gold to afford their accommodations (not to mention the exchange rate to muggle money), but in his mind it was worth it. Gold had never meant too much to him anyways. He had also spent a pretty penny on a surprise he had for his friends.

"Ron, Hermione, can I see you real quick?" They both joined him in the kitchen from their respective unpacking. "I have something for you."

Harry handed Hermione a white envelope. Her eyes brightened as she opened it, Ron took up position behind her to see. Hermione's jaw dropped and she clapped a hand over her mouth when she pulled out two tickets. Ron looked puzzled.

"What are these mate? They don't look like Quidditch tickets."

"Oh….Harry! You didn't!?" Harry had to laugh. His gift was having the effect that he had hoped. Hermione simply gaped at him. When she turned attention back to the tickets, she too briefly looked confused. "But..Harry….there's only two tickets here."

"Can someone fill me in what's going on here?" Ron flustered.

"It's two tickets to the opera house Ron. They're terribly expensive, but it's really fun and very fancy. We went to see one when my family vacationed in France. But Harry, you still haven't told me why there's only two tickets."

Harry grinned at his friends. "I want you two to go out tonight. Just the two of you." At the worried expression from Hermione he raised his hand. "No Hermione. Really. Go out and have some fun. You two deserve this. Consider it my thanks, for everything."

Hermione's eyes watered and she grabbed Harry in a bone crushing hug. Ron grinned, "Thanks mate" and Harry gave him a wink over Hermione's shoulder.

"Oh thank you Harry! I've got to go get spruced up! Ron you had better look your best!" She gave Harry one last squeeze before traipsing off to her room and shutting the door.

"You had better get going Ron. Better look spiffy." Harry grinned. Ron answered with a grin of his own before taking a more serious expression.

"Thank you Harry. You're the best mate a guy could ask for." Ron clapped him on the back.

"Don't mention it. Now go get dressed!"

About forty-five minutes later Harry was standing with Ron in the kitchen again. Ron was wearing a magnificent dark blue tuxedo that brilliantly set off his fiery red hair.

"Come on Hermione! We're going to be late!" Ron looked at his watch for the fifth time. "Women Harry, honestly. What in the world could be taking so…"

But Ron never finished his thought, for right then Hermione's door opened and both Harry and Ron audibly gasped.

Hermione was wearing a beautiful ballroom gown that matched Ron's in color with a pearl necklace and matching pearl studded earrings. Her hair was in an elegant bun with a strand left on either side to frame her face. She looked simply stunning.

Ron's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water while Harry simply gaped. Harry had seen some beautiful women in his life, including a very lovely Hermione at the Yule Ball, but he never thought he'd ever see a woman as beautiful as Hermione was at that moment.

"Well, considering you both have lost the ability to speak I'm guessing I look alright?" Hermione positively glowed from the muted reactions of her two male companions. Harry had never seen her look so confident.

"Alright? Hermione you look…" Ron couldn't finish his sentence, so Harry came to his friends' aid. "Positively smashing." Harry smiled and gave Hermione a short embrace. "You had better help him along or he'll just stand there all night."

Hermione beamed at him before turning to Ron. "Let's go Ronald." The use of his whole name shook Ron from his reverie. He proffered his arm to Hermione and lead her to the door before opening it to follow her out. They both looked back at Harry.

"Thanks again mate."

"Thank you Harry. Are you sure you'll be here by yourself?"

At that they both looked apologetically at Harry.

"I'll be fine lovebirds, now go before I kick you out myself." They both chuckled at Harry before Ron closed the door behind him, Hermione giving Harry a last small wave.

They were gone. Harry let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. As happy as he was for his friends and for how they had taken his surprise, he couldn't help but miss their presence. But he knew that they wouldn't be able to be around twenty-four hours a day forever, so he might as well get accustomed now.

He honestly hoped they would have a good time and stray away from arguing. While it had been endearing at times and well within both of their characters, Harry thought that at some point they'd have to move a little closer in thought patterns for them to give a relationship a real go. Constant bickering was cute when you're eleven, but was no way to be married. No other couple Harry knew of behaved that way.

In any case he now had the room to himself. Tired from all the travel that day, he turned on the television and began watching a football match. He was moving in and out of consciousness for several hours before falling asleep, not waking up until the sound of the door opening woke him with a small start past midnight. A strange curiosity peaked in Harry and instead of greeting his friends, he feigned sleep and listened to their hushed conversation.

"He's asleep Ron."

"I'll wake him and have him move to the bed when you've run off. Tonight was fun."

"Really? I was worried at first you would think opera to be boring."

"I can't say it's my favorite activity, but the company was good."

"Well tonight has shown you can be sweet. It's nice to know."

A couple of footsteps and the rustle of fabric told Harry that they had embraced.

"I had a wonderful evening Ron."

"I did too. It's the first time in a very long time I didn't once think about what could be around the corner or about….well…you know."

"Me too Ron, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why….why can't we be like this more? We didn't argue or fight one time tonight and it was the best time I've had with you that I can recall."

There was a moment of silence before Ron answered. "To be honest Hermione, I don't know. I just…I guess a lot of my arguments with you stem from feeling….you could say…inadequate?"

Another moment of silence. "Ron, how could you.."

"Think about it Hermione. You've always done better than me at spellwork and schoolwork. You've always seemed to know more than I do. I guess most of the time I would argue so that I could try and prove something to you. Prove that I could be good enough for you."

"Ron, I….I don't know what to say. So tonight you…you don't feel that way anymore?"

"I can't say I've kicked it entirely. But I'm trying. I guess I'm becoming more secure in who I am, determined to just be me instead of trying to measure up to someone else."

"Well, I'm happy for you Ron. Thanks again for such a wonderful time."

Harry heard her give Ron a kiss. "Goodnight Ron."

"Goodnight Hermione."

Hermione walked into her room and closed the door. Ron stood still for a moment before walking over to where Harry was on the couch. Ron shook his shoulder gently. "Hey mate, why don't you head to bed."

Pretending to be just waking up, Harry stretched and sat up. "Sounds good mate. How was tonight?"

"It was…we'll talk about it later."

Puzzled at his friends' answer, Harry followed Ron into the bedroom and changed into his pajamas. Without further conversation, both boys climbed into bed and Ron's snores soon told Harry he was fast asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

In the room next door, Hermione was wide awake. Now that she had written down the evening's events in her journal, she walked to her window and stared at nothing in particular as she processed the night's events.

 _Ron and Hermione walked hand in hand towards the opera house at the end of the street. They were idly chatting about nothing in particular. Hermione was struck by how comfortable she felt. For it being their first real date of any significance, she felt no nerves gnawing at her. While on the one hand, it shouldn't have surprised her that much considering how long they had known each other; Hermione had to wonder, on the other hand, why this change in the relationship didn't make her the least bit anxious._

 _When they reached the opera house and found their seats, Hermione had a field day explaining all the intricacies of the opera to Ron. Ron, for his part, was genuinely curious. Though he typically struggled to understand the muggle world, the way that they amplified the voice with the building's design particularly intrigued him. Hermione was enjoying explaining it to him without his usual impatience towards her gushing._

 _They sat in companionable silence during the performance, Hermione leaning her head onto Ron's shoulder. Again she was surprised by how little reaction she experienced with her physical contact with Ron. She had fretted all afternoon while dressing how she was going to react when these things would happen, but she was consternated by the lack of any reaction in her. Maybe she and Ron would bypass all of those early relationship worries and feelings._

 _She spent the intermission talking to Ron about the plot of the performance and about their future career choices. Hermione was considering a wide variety of choices while Ron was hedged between helping George with the shop and being an Auror. It was so nice to be talking to Ron in civilized tones. She had always enjoyed his company when they weren't bickering._

 _After watching the final acts and heading back to the street, Ron suggested a walk in a neighboring park. Hermione gladly accepted and they walked for the better part of an hour and a half, talking about everything that came to mind: the opera, Hogwarts, past adventures, and everything in between._

 _It was while walking around the park that it finally hit Hermione. The reason why she felt so comfortable with Ron, the reason why it didn't bother her in the slightest that she was on her first real date and holding hands with the man she had pursued off and on for six years. Despite how happy she had been, despite how great it was to kiss him and spend tonight with him…she wsnt in love with him._

 _Oh she loved him. She loved him so much she would die for him. But she wasn't in love with him and that made all the difference. The previous day had been throwing a band-aid on what was already a foregone conclusion. He drove her crazy when they were fighting and yes he was a great kisser, but when it was just the two of them like tonight…there was nothing beyond her and one of her best friends._

 _In her heart she knew that she wasn't in love with him anymore and probably never would be again. She had given him so many chances over the years. All second year, the Yule Ball fourth year, both before and after Lavender (a pain shot through her chest at the thought of her dead dorm mate), after Dumbledore's funeral, and finally even after he walked out during the Horcrux hunt. Every time up until now he had dropped the ball._

 _She suddenly felt the overwhelming feeling of being tired. Tired of being let down. She was just now realizing it, but when he left the tent that night, he had given up his last real chance with her heart. She couldn't give him her heart anymore because she no longer trusted him with it. Not like that._

 _That was the real reason she had fought against the label. She could dress it however she wanted in her other cares and fears, but at the end of the day it was because she flat out didn't want it. It made her feel awful._

 _He was still her friend. One of her two very best friends. She loved him and would do anything for him. He had come back and if recent events told her anything it's that he would never leave again. But he could never get back the trust she once placed with him to hold her completely. That was a barrier he couldn't cross again because she couldn't let him._

 _"Ron, what do you say we head back?"_

 _"Sure. Let's go get a cab."_

 _All the way back to the hotel she thought about how tonight had been a perfectly wonderful evening, and how Ron really had changed. She thought about how badly she had once wanted to be with him. She felt a real sense of loss in knowing she wouldn't feel like that towards him again. Completely unsure of what to do, she resolved herself to let the night play itself out and straighten her own head out before doing or saying anything rash._

 _Ron helped her out of the cab at the hotel and they walked silently back to their rooms. Out of habit, they walked together into the boys' room to find Harry asleep in front of the television._

 _"He's asleep Ron."_

 _"I'll wake him and have him move to the bed when you've run off. Tonight was fun."_

 _"Really? I was worried at first you would think opera to be boring."_

 _"I can't say it's my favorite activity, but the company was good."Hermione was disappointed that she didn't blush harder than she did._

 _"Well tonight has shown you can be sweet. It's nice to know."_

 _Hermione pulled Ron into a firm embrace. She felt a small flutter in her stomach. He smelled good, like he had a very light fragrance on. She felt very safe in his arms. Maybe she had been overreacting. This felt very nice._

 _"I had a wonderful evening Ron."_

 _"I did too. It's the first time in a very long time I didn't once think about what could be around the corner or about….well…you know."_

 _"Me too Ron, can I ask you something?"_

 _"Of course."_

 _Hermione had a brief and violent struggle in her mind. What she really wanted to ask was how he felt about their first date and her, but thinking that she wasn't quite ready to have that conversation, she went with plan b._

 _"Why….why can't we be like this more? We didn't argue or fight one time tonight and it was the best time I've had with you that I can recall."_

 _There was a moment of silence before Ron answered. "To be honest Hermione, I don't know. I just…I guess a lot of my arguments with you stem from feeling….you could say…inadequate?"_

 _While Hermione had often thought it, to hear Ron express it was something else entirely. "Ron, how could you.."_

 _"Think about it Hermione. You've always done better than me at spellwork and schoolwork. You've always seemed to know more than I do. I guess most of the time I would argue so that I could try and prove something to you. Prove that I could be good enough for you."_

 _Now Hermione felt herself really blushing. "Ron, I….I don't know what to say. So tonight you…you don't feel that way anymore?"_

 _"I can't say I've kicked it entirely. But I'm trying. I guess I'm becoming more secure in who I am, determined to just be me instead of trying to measure up to someone else."_

 _Hermione very well knew who that someone else was. He was asleep on the couch. However, she felt like Ron was growing up in front of her. A warm feeling spread from her heart._

 _"Well, I'm happy for you Ron. Thanks again for such a wonderful time."_

 _She leaned in to give him a goodnight kiss. She saw him close his eyes as she drew to his face, but before her lips brushed his, she felt a panic rise up in her chest and she changed direction to give him a peck on the cheek instead._

 _"Goodnight Ron."_

 _Hermione saw the disappointment in Ron's eyes._

 _"Goodnight Hermione."_

The entire night replayed in her head. Why didn't she kiss him? It's not like it would be the first time. Why did she panic at the last moment?

She, of course, knew the answer to these questions. Maybe it was finally time to admit to herself that things just weren't going to work out with Ron. He was funny, brave, and endearing. He was a wonderful man and if the past few days had been any indicator, he was becoming more of one every day. She loved him, but her heart no longer belonged to him. He had broken it one too many times.

She walked back to her bedside table and picked up a tome about Vienna's history with the magical world. There would be plenty of time to talk to Ron about this. Later.


	7. Chapter 7

Ron surprised himself by being the first one awake the next morning. Harry was dead asleep on the bed next to him, and when he walked into the kitchen he saw Hermione's door still closed. Opening it was usually the first thing she did every morning after getting dressed.

He was eating breakfast on the couch when he first heard a muffled groan from Hermione's room. At first he waved it off as Hermione waking up, but it grew louder and more insistent. He then heard muffled words, followed by a piercing scream.

All the blood leaving his face, Ron pelted to Hermione's room and flew open the door. She was lying on top of her sheets where she had apparently fallen asleep reading a book. She was thrashing about with her eyes firmly shut. She unleashed another scream as her whole body seemed to convulse.

Ron dashed to her side and put a hand on each of her cheeks. "Hermione! Wake up!"

Hermione continued to thrash about and screamed yet again.

"Wake up! It's me Ron! Everything is okay, please wake up! Damn it!"

"Ron, what's wrong?" Harry had appeared in the doorway.

"She's having a nightmare, she won't wake up. Wake up Hermione, please!"

Harry joined Ron and grabbed one of her hands, rubbing it gently in between his own hands. "Hermione, we're here. It's alright." His voice was much calmer than Ron's.

"Please Hermione." Ron choked, "We're here and you're safe. Wake up."

Hermione's eyes finally flew open and she bolted upright. "I was….she was….Harry! Ron!" She was wildly looking around the room before her eyes settled on first Harry, then Ron. Realizing now where she was, she collapsed into Ron's arms sobbing uncontrollably.

"There, there Hermione. You're safe. She can't hurt you anymore. We won't let anyone hurt you anymore." Ron spoke soothingly. Harry placed a hand on her leg. "That's right. You're here with me and Ron. You're okay."

Hermione slowly gained her composure. When she sat up in the bed, Harry cast a Cheering Charm on her. "All better now?"

"Yes Harry, thank you." Turning to Ron she spoke softly, "Thank you both."

Ron felt his stomach loosen. She was alright. Harry got up to make some hot chocolate and breakfast for her. Hermione stayed in Ron's arms, sniffling and hiccupping. After placing a tray with her breakfast on her bedside table, Harry excused himself for a shower. Ron sat cross legged on the end of her bed while she slowly ate.

"I'm glad you were both here." Hermione spoke softly.

"This is exactly why we're here. We need each other." They both shared a meaningful look with one another. Ron lost himself in his own thoughts. He knew he needed to talk to her about last night, he just wasn't sure if he was ready or if now was the time. Hermione gave him a knowing look.

"Wanna talk about what's on your mind?" Ron tried to act surprised but he knew that she saw right through him.

"We don't have to do this now."

Ron really didn't think she would be up for talking about much considering how she woke up, but she dismissed his concern with a shaking head. "I'm fine Ron, and honestly I wanted to talk about last night too."

Resigned that he wasn't getting out of it, Ron tried to gather his thoughts together. He had never really mastered the art of talking about how he felt about things. That he had done so twice so far on this trip had to be some kind of miracle, or maybe he was finally doing some growing after all.

"Hermione, while I know last night was technically our first real date, it never really felt like I was on a date. It felt like a night out with my best friend. I think you wanted it to feel that way. I genuinely do love you, I've wanted to be with you for years now, but something about last night told me that maybe you don't feel the same way I do about this relationship. I want to know if that's true."

Ron looked hard at Hermione. He may not have had the telepathy thing going for him that Harry and her sometimes displayed, but he still knew how to read her expressions. She had never been very good at hiding her feelings about anything. The look of guilt in her eyes told him all he really needed to know.

"Ron, I.." Hermione began with her eyes watery, "I do love you. I've spent years trying to get you to notice me. Trying to have something special with you, and for awhile we did. But Ron, I have to be honest with you because you deserve it. I can't think of you as my boyfriend anymore."

The silence was deafening. Ron could feel the prickling behind his eyes. Hermione looked at him and he had never seen her eyes look so sad.

"Ron, I am so very sorry. You truly are a wonderful man. You made me happier than I have ever been. But.." and her voice broke, "you broke my heart so many times. Every time I told myself that you would change. That next time would be different. That we would get past the point where we would blow up at each other and not speak for weeks. After Dumbledore died, when we were at Bill's wedding, I thought we had finally gotten there."

Knowing full well where this was going and dreading every second, Ron could feel himself turning green. He felt sicker than he had ever had in his life.

"Don't ever doubt that I loved you with all my heart. But you shattered me when you left. I know we've been over this a dozen times, but it's true. I've been trying ever since then to let you back into my heart, but Ron, I…I can't."

Her voice broke. Tears were flowing thick and fast from both their eyes.

"You will always, always, be my friend. In a way, even calling you my friend seems to cheapen how I feel about you. But I can't trust you with that part of me anymore."

Hermione was crying softly across the bed from him. Ron could feel his own tears moving down his cheeks. His worst fear about that night had been realized. He had gone too far, had let her down too many times. He knew he hadn't always treated her fairly, but had always hoped she could find it in her to forgive him. He knew now that it had been unreasonable to think she could do it forever. It seemed a cruel fate that just when he was getting his head out of his arse, it was already too late. Yet he had no one to blame but himself.

She moved closer to him and brushed some of his tears away with her thumbs. She looked him deep in his eyes and Ron felt a knot form in his chest as he gazed into those deep brown wells.

"Ron, you have become a wonderful, wonderful man. You deserve someone who can trust you with every fiber of their being. You deserve to be happy, to have someone love you with their whole heart. I wish so badly that I could give that to you, but I just…..I just can't."

She gave him a very chaste kiss on his lips. He stored away the memory in his mind, to always remember the way her soft lips felt on his.

"I…I'm going to go for a walk. Stay here and talk to Harry. He will want to help." And so Hermione got up to walk away. Ron watched her go out of her door, heard a brief conversation between her and Harry, then heard the outer door open and close.

Ron's eyes were shut tight, trying to hold it back. Trying not to completely lose control. He heard Harry walk into the room and could feel his presence. Unfortunately, controlling his emotions had never been his strength and so he started to cry. He vaguely felt the bed move next to him and Harry's hand on his shoulder, but Harry remained silent. There was nothing that he could say anyways.

* * *

Harry was standing in the kitchen washing some dishes when Hermione found him.

"Harry, I just broke up with Ron. I'm going for a walk, he's going to need you." She was grateful when one look at her face told him to not ask any questions.

His eyes were full of concern. "Are you sure it'll be safe with you out there alone?"

Leave it to Harry to think about that. Hermione silently prayed for a day when he could get over worrying about his friends getting cursed in the street.

"I'll be fine Harry; I'll come straight back here if there's a problem." When Harry didn't look convinced she added, "I promise."

"Okay, I'll see you in a while." He looked resigned to the facts, though his tone communicated that he expected to talk about this later. Grateful for his understanding, Hermione walked to the elevators and out the front doors.

She had been walking for half an hour before she found a stopping place at a bench in a small square a few blocks from the hotel. She had barely sat down when the tears she had been fighting back finally broke free. She knew it wasn't a flattering sight, to be crying her eyes out on a public bench, but she didn't particularly care in that moment.

When she finally collected herself enough to look around, she saw that the square was a small park surrounded by shops. She could smell the bread baking at a bakery to her left while the sound of laughter and chit-chat came regularly from the restaurant in front of her.

She wondered if Ron had really stayed and what he and Harry were doing right now. Though she knew it was the right thing to do, breaking up with Ron still gutted her. The hurt in his eyes had been almost unbearable. She hoped to never see his sky blue eyes that way again.

She tried to clear her mind, but if the uncertainty of their relationship was gone it was replaced with the uncertainty of their friendship. Would the trio ever be the same again? She desperately hoped that Ron could find it in him to forgive her and to remain her friend. The last thing she needed was to lose one of the two closest friends she had. She knew she would need him as much in the days ahead as she always had. They all would. Ron had said that himself.

Turning her gaze to the stores around her, a small bookstore on the upper level of a café caught her attention. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to have a look around, she first dipped into a public loo to freshen herself up with a bit of magic before strolling resolutely up the side staircase and through the front door.

A small bell jingled above her and a kind looking woman turned and smiled. She was a wiry older woman who could pass for the grandmothers that Hermione remembered from her fairy tales growing up. She even had the kind eyes and smile to boot.

"Good morning." Hermione offered, momentarily forgetting that she was not in England. Mortified by her mistake, Hermione wasn't sure what to say. Her face must have given her away because the woman simply smiled and answered "Good morning my dear." Relieved that the woman spoke English, Hermione assured her that she was just browsing and began to pace up and down the aisles.

She scanned the titles on the shelves, picking up and flipping through those that she found interesting. Books had always had a way of distracting her from her troubles. She had become so intent on the first chapter of a volume about Prince Eugene of Savoy that she hadn't noticed the older woman approach her.

"A great patron of the arts as well as an inspiring commander. His life is quite the read." While Hermione was at first taken aback by the woman's interest in her, the kind smile and relaxed demeanor put her at ease. "It does make for good reading. I never caught your name, my name is Hermione."

"My name is Catherine, pleased to meet you." Catherine gave Hermione a gentle handshake. "What brings an English girl like you to Vienna?"

"I'm on a holiday with my two best friends." Hermione explained, avoiding the reason behind the holiday. In the back of her mind, Hermione wondered if Ron really was still her best friend.

Catherine seemed to notice her misgivings. "If you don't mind me saying so, you look troubled."

Hermione wasn't sure how to answer. The woman was a complete stranger and so her first instinct was to not be terribly trusting. She hadn't just survived a war for nothing, but something about Catherine made her think that perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to have a fellow woman to talk to. It's not like she was likely to ever come across this woman again and an outside opinion could give her perspective.

"Well, you see, one of the boys I'm here with….we were together, but I broke up with him this morning." Hermione felt the tears prickling at the back of her eyes. Catherine gave her a knowing smile. "My, my. Well, if you're comfortable talking about it, we can grab some tea from downstairs and you can tell me all about it. How does that sound?"

Comforted by the thought, Hermione consented and after ordering some tea they returned to the bookstore to sit at a small table in the back. Catherine had asked a young boy, her only employee she explained, to watch the store while they chatted.

Hermione explained to her everything. Starting from when she first met Ron and Harry on the Hogwarts express. Of course, she changed the story quite a bit, removing all the magical parts and sugar coating the events of the war. Catherine nodded, asked questions, and gave her opinion when relevant. By the time Hermione had finished, Catherine had her feeling much better about the situation.

"Well, if you really feel that way about Ronald, then I believe that you made the right decision. If you two really have been through so much, I have to believe that he will remain your friend. He is hurt I'm sure, but a friendship such as yours is not something to be thrown away lightly."

Hermione smiled at Catherine. Perhaps she was right and the trio could remain together after all. Hope now buoyed her flagging spirits.

"What about this other young man, Harry was it? He seems rather important to you." Hermione opened her mouth and closed it again. She wasn't sure she wanted to talk about Harry. Not to mention that she was unsure herself how she felt about him. "He…we're just friends."

Catherine gave her a knowing look. "The very best I assume. You have spoken very highly of him. He seems a very fine young man." Hermione nodded. It wasn't as if it wasn't true. "You seem very fond of him. After all, most of the adventures you and Ronald went on together seemed to involve Harry in some way."

Hermione was perturbed by Catherine's perceptiveness. "Yeah, he's…." but Hermione couldn't bring herself to say what Harry really was. Not only was she unsure, she didn't want Catherine to think that Harry had been in any way involved with her breakup with Ron, or that she was already on the rebound.

"I understand Hermione, matters of the heart are rarely as simple as we would like them to be." Catherine had a faraway look her in eyes, like she was lost in her own memories. Hermione was again taken aback by how applicable Catherine's wisdom was.

"How….how do you know all of this?" Hermione finally asked. She was aware of how childish the question seemed, but her curiosity got the best of her.

"I daresay I've lived quite a bit of life myself dear." Catherine chuckled, "It's a simple reality of life. Relationships are never as clear cut as the fairy tales and movies make them out to be." Hermione bit her lip as she turned these things over in her mind. Catherine had been so helpful with Ron, would it really hurt to see what she thought about Harry?

"Well…." Hermione had one more disagreement with herself in her mind before beginning again, "Harry does mean a lot to me. He truly is my best friend. I love him; I just don't think that I'm in love with him."

Catherine sat in silence for a moment before speaking. "Well, only you can know the answer to that. I would certainly let things settle with Ron before thinking about any kind of other relationship, but…" Catherine's eyes looked strangely sad, "don't make the mistake of never giving someone like Harry a second thought." At that moment the boy from the front of the store appeared and questioned Catherine regarding a customer at the desk.

"Well it looks like I have to be getting back to work. Perhaps you should return to your friends. I'm pleasured to have made your acquaintance Hermione. Good luck with Ronald and Harry." She gave Hermione a hug as Hermione profusely thanked her for her help. "Don't mention it my dear, you're always welcome to come back anytime." And Catherine turned and walked to the front desk.

Hermione walked out the door and back into the street. It was past three now, so she thought it best to return to the hotel and meet back up with the boys. Though she had a queasy feeling in her stomach at the thought of seeing Ron, she couldn't put it off forever. Besides, Catherine's counsel had made her think that it wasn't as hopeless as she had feared.

She had always liked to believe the best in people. Ron had truly grown over the past year. She chose to believe that he wouldn't let this change anything about their friendship anymore than she was going to.

She hoped she was right.


	8. Chapter 8

Neither one of them had moved since Hermione had walked out. Harry was unsure what to say. He was never very good in these situations. It was Ron who finally broke the silence.

"Harry?"

"Yes, Ron?"

"I'm sorry."

Harry was taken aback. "Sorry for what exactly?"

"I'm sorry that I was the one who broke the trio up. Just when I thought we were inseparable…" Ron sniffed.

"What makes you think we're done now?" Harry was looking at Ron, who was refusing to meet his gaze.

"Because of me and Hermione. I used to think about what would happen….you know…if we got involved and something went wrong. I mean stuff has happened before, but not like this. I was afraid it would be the end of the three of us. Now it's going to happen."

"Why? Did she say she didn't want to be friends anymore?" Harry asked gently.

"Well….no…." Ron mumbled.

"What did she say?"

"She said she….would always be my friend." He finally turned to meet Harry's look, "But she can't mean that can she? How am I even supposed to look at her now? And surely she hates me for treating her so badly."

He sounded on the verge of breaking. Harry knew he had to choose his next words carefully.

"Ron, you have been her friend for years. You have watched after her, made her laugh…..if she said she will always be your friend, then she means it. You and I both know her well enough to know how stubborn and loyal she can be. Whether or not she loves you in that way, she will always love you. Surely you know that by now."

Ron didn't answer at first. The silence was thick. He could see the wheels turning in his friend's mind.

"That still doesn't cover how in the world I'm supposed to be around her. Maybe I should just go home."

He actually stood up as if to go, but Harry stood up in front of him.

"You're not going anywhere. You know you don't really want to and that she doesn't want you to either."

Another silence.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Harry winced at the obvious pain in his best mate's voice.

"I think…" He wracked his brain for something useful to say. Hogwarts really needed to add classes about how to handle girls and people who were upset. "I think you need to decide what is important to you and stick with it. If you truly want Hermione as your friend, then make that your focus. I think that's what you both want."

Harry hoped he had said the right thing. He hoped that his own fears of the three becoming two weren't about to be realized. He knew now that nothing was as important to him as having Ron and Hermione by his side, he couldn't bear the thought of losing that now.

After what seemed like ages, Ron finally nodded his head.

"You're right Harry. I want….more than anything….for us three to be together."

Harry was glad to see the determination lurking behind the pain in Ron's eyes. He knew it wouldn't be easy for Ron, but luckily Ron didn't have to do it alone.

"I'm here for you mate." Harry closed the gap and gave Ron a hearty embrace. "Whatever I can do, let me know."

"Thanks mate. You're the best." Ron sniffed again. "As for what you can do, let's go find somewhere to do some blasting curses until a decent hour to drink comes around."

Harry smiled. If Ron was keeping it as tame as blasting curses and drinking, then he was going to alright after all.

* * *

While the next few days seemed normal on the surface, Harry knew it was because Ron and Hermione were doing their best to keep it that way. They had visited a number of different tourist attractions around the city, both magical and muggle, and while they were genuinely having a good time Harry couldn't help but wonder when everything could be back to normal.

At least they were keeping it subtle. Ron and Hermione both were rather courteous to one another, perhaps more so than usual, but there was a slight tension in the air whenever they were around one another. Harry could see it in how they positioned themselves with Harry in between them at all times, or in how they never seemed to want to make eye contact with one another. Whenever Harry would try to go somewhere on his own, Ron or Hermione would typically volunteer themselves to go with him, leaving the other one alone.

Despite all of this it seemed like they were all headed to a new sort of equilibrium. The first hint Harry had that things were slowly getting back to normal was when they attended a local quidditch match (at Ron's insistence) and Ron got into an argument with Hermione over who got the aisle seat. The sight of them bickering over something trivial without it boiling over told Harry that they both were moving past their hurt.

There was just one more stop on their tour of Europe before heading to Australia: Greece. There had been a large disagreement over it when they had planned the trip. Ron had wanted to stop in Romania to see his brother Charlie while Hermione had wanted the extra time to visit the two wizarding schools in Europe: Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Harry had been the one to offer the compromise: they would visit Greece, whose historic venues interested Hermione, and would be close enough to Romania that if Ron wanted to take a day to visit Charlie he could.

At the time, Harry didn't want or foresee any need to split up, but had to admit it was probably for the best when Ron told them the next morning that he would be going to Romania the next day.

"I just want to see him, I miss my family you know, and we haven't had much time together in a while." Ron had explained to Harry years before how Charlie had always been the brother he related to most. Harry could see why. Bill was too much to look up to, Percy was too haughty, and the twins….Harry felt a stabbing pain in his gut…..had always been too busy pushing his buttons. Charlie was more laid back and shared Ron's obsession with quidditch.

"That's fine mate, take as much time as you want. We'll meet back up with you before we leave." Ron clapped Harry on the back before awkwardly embracing Hermione. "Take care you two, I won't be too long. I'll see you in Greece." And so Ron left for the local owl post to let Charlie know he was coming. He would catch a flight to Bucharest later that afternoon.

Harry and Hermione passed through security without any problems and were sitting at the terminal awaiting their flight before either of them said anything.

"Do you think he'll be okay Harry?" Hermione had her patented worry face on.

"Dying in a plane crash would be pretty embarrassing for someone who can do magic."

Hermione gave him a sour look. "That's not funny Harry and you know what I mean."

"He'll be fine Hermione." Harry gave her reassuring smile. "You two were bickering just like old times yesterday. Everything will be alright. Just give him some time."

She seemed to relax and Harry had to marvel at himself for a moment. "Since when am I the one giving you advice?"

Hermione chuckled. "I have to admit it's not our usual roles, especially when it comes to dealing with people who are upset." Harry thought back to Cho and the Room of Requirement and how hopelessly lost he had felt.

"I've never have been too good with that."

Hermione gave him a warm smile. "Well I guess Ron isn't alone in maturing. There might be some hope for you after all."

They sat in amicable silence until they boarded. Hermione brought out a book and promptly began reading while Harry looked out the window. While it was nothing like flying a broomstick, he still liked watching the countryside pass him by.

Upon their arrival in Athens, they discussed their plans for the next couple of days on their way to their hotel. They made alternate plans in the event that Ron joined them and once they had reached their room, decided to find a nice place for dinner. Hermione liked the sound of a small family owned spot a few blocks away. Dressed casually, they walked to their destination while Hermione gushed about the book she had been reading on the flight. Harry had long thought her diatribes were annoying, but recent events made him more than grateful to nod along and smile at her enthusiasm. He wondered why it took such tragedy and loss for him to be thankful for what he had instead of nitpicking what he didn't like in his friends.

Harry had to rely on Hermione's research when it came time to order and though the dish wasn't anything like traditional English ware, he found that it was quite pleasant. They speculated for a while how the restoration work at Hogwarts was progressing before the topic of their upcoming year came up.

"Do you think we should owl them and tell them we plan on coming back?" Hermione was back in her element: talking about academics. "Will they even take us back? We did miss our entire year after all."

Harry hadn't even thought about it. Fred and George had left before their N.E.W.T.'s, but they had never planned on finishing anyways. He wondered if there had been other students who took a year off and if Hogwarts had some kind of policy about students who wished to return. He had never seen any students older than their supposed year, so there was no real evidence that Hogwarts allowed it.

"Maybe with all that happened, they'll be a little more understanding. Everyone who was there last year got a real quality education after all." Harry's comment set off a round of bashing on the part of the Death Eater "professors". It was when they got to Snape that Hermione paused.

"How do you feel about Snape Harry?"

He wasn't quite sure how to respond. Finding out Snape's true loyalties had been a shock. That he had loved Lily Evans for his entire life and devoted it to protecting her son, Harry, put all of Harry's years at Hogwarts into a new perspective. It also explained Snape's feelings toward him. He may have had Lily's eyes, but they were looking out of a boy who looked just like James Potter, the man Lily ultimately chose over Snape. While Harry admired Snape for his courage to live a double life in the face of mortal danger and was grateful for all that he had done to help him complete his quest; it was hard to forget seven years' worth of taunts, jabs, and unfair treatment.

"He was a brave man, but a man who could never move past who I looked like." Harry put simply. "He has my gratitude, but I can't exactly like the man." Harry instantly was reminded of Snape's last breaths and felt guilty for speaking ill of the dead. Hermione's searching look seemed to pick it up.

"Harry, don't feel guilty for being honest. There was never any love lost between you. Someone being gone doesn't mean we suddenly have to view them with rose colored glasses."

Grateful for her understanding, Harry turned the conversation to more trivial matters and they talked long into the evening until they picked up the staff's signals that it was time for them to leave.

They walked back together underneath a full moon that bathed the city in a soft glow. The marble of the old city in particular benefited from the reflected moonlight. It was a gorgeous evening and so the pair took a long detour through side streets before returning to their hotel, occasionally making small talk about their surroundings but in general just enjoying each other's company.

Free from the pressures that usually led to Hermione nagging or lecturing him, Harry found her company quite enjoyable. Her inquisitiveness and tendency to ramble was a lot more endearing when it had nothing to do with schoolwork and even her attempts at humor (which Harry politely chuckled at) while far from his own brand of humor, he found charming in a cheesy sort of way. For his part, Harry was content to simply let her ramble and to listen.

After a particularly long rant about some famous wizard named Demosthenes, Hermione stopped talking and gave Harry an inquiring look.

"What are you grinning about?"

Harry, who hadn't even realized he was doing it, simply shrugged. "I don't know. You I guess."

"Me? What about me?" She sounded uncharacteristically shy and her cheeks were tinged with pink.

"I guess we've just never really been together, just the two of us, without either school or some deadly adventure in the mix. I'm just learning a bit more about what it's really like, you know, being with you."

Hermione's cheeks turned a darker shade of pink. "I guess you're right, I've never really thought about it before. I bet I've been insufferable." She looked down to gaze at her shoes as they kept walking.

"You had your moments, but…er…" Harry hesitated at the dejected look on her face. "I have too. Remember fifth year? When I kept blowing up at everyone?"

"Believe me, that year is pretty hard to forget."

Harry still didn't quite like the look on her face.

"Listen Hermione, I meant what I said in a good way. I'm not always…well…good at saying the right thing. I enjoy being with you. That's all I meant."

Hermione gave him a skeptical look. "So you don't think I'm an insufferable know-it-all?"

"No Hermione I don't." Harry gave her a genuine smile. "In fact, if you didn't know so much, I wouldn't be around to complain about it would I?"

"But Harry don't you get it? I don't want to be just the girl who keeps you alive." He could see that her temper was quickly mounting.

"Hermione it's more than that. Its…."

"What is it then? Huh? What is it Harry? I'm dying to know!" Hermione's voice got shriller with every syllable.

Harry could see in her eyes just how hurt she was. It hit him all at once that this was how she really felt: like a tool he had used all these years. He realized that never once had he taken a moment to ask her what she needed from him. It had been all giving and no receiving for her. He knew that he had hurt her and had been hurting her for a very long time. His heart went cold and he felt ill knowing just how neglectful he had been. He more than anything to let her know those days were over.

"You are the brightest, bravest, most steadfast, compassionate, and loyal person I know."

Hermione's eyes went wide and she stopped walking. Harry stopped in front of her and took her hand in his. "And I know that I have been so, so ungrateful for your friendship. You have given me so much and I have given so little; but if you're willing to give me the chance, I want to spend whatever time I have left to give back to you."

Holding her gaze, he saw that her eyes went from stunned to tender as his words sunk in. "Harry I…I don't know what to say."

"I meant every word."

"I know." the words dripped with meaning beyond what they said. He knew that she trusted him completely to be true to his word.

"I'm just so sorry it took me so long to want to pay you back." Harry felt his stomach tie in knots of guilt. He really had taken her for granted for so long. He was surprised she was even still here. Hermione gave his hands a squeeze.

"I forgive you Harry. I know that you have lived a life full of burdens that should have never been yours to carry. I just did my best to help you see them through."

They stood there for a moment just drinking in the moment. Hermione's eyes began to swim with tears. She took a tentative step forward and Harry knew she was about to launch into one of her patented hugs. He opened up his arms in invitation.

"Come here." And before he had even finished she did indeed nearly knock the wind out of him, so hard did she fling herself at him. "I know I wasn't there for you like you needed me before, but I'll always be there starting today. You deserve the best."

Hermione hiccupped into his chest. "Oh Harry."

They stood that way for what seemed ages before she released him. Harry took her hand in his and with interlaced fingers they walked side by side into the night.


	9. Chapter 9

Hermione was writing furiously in her journal. She had started the instant she had finished unpacking and as the clock read three in the morning she still hadn't stopped. Her brow was furrowed as deep as any exam had ever sent it as she poured her thoughts onto paper. Things that she had long repressed in her conscious and things that she had never allowed herself to think.

She had been upset with Harry for a very, _very_ long time. It wasn't that she didn't understand that he often had the entire wizarding world on his shoulders. She genuinely empathized with him. Hell, she had done everything short of giving her life to help him remove that burden.

But that didn't change the fact that she was human. She had her own burdens too and as long as she had known him, Harry had rarely given her troubles much thought. All too often, her problems only seemed to matter to Harry when they overlapped with his.

That's not to say that he didn't have his moments. Certainly when the cards were on the table and her life was at stake, he was as protective of her as anyone. Even more so in fact. No one took care of her in some of the ways Harry had. On every adventure together he had been an arm she could grab or a hand to hold. He had shielded her and looked after her when she had been hurt.

He even had his few moments outside of their more perilous adventures. She was especially grateful for how helpful he had been during Ron's Lavender phase or when he danced with her during the horcrux hunt. But those stuck out precisely because of how rare it was for Harry to show any genuine concern for her more mundane and non-life threatening problems.

She often did feel like she was simply there to keep him alive. Just another tool for him to complete the tasks set before him.

Never mind the fact that she went out of her way to take care of him or that she cared enough for him to trade her life for his.

Never mind that she had helped him with schoolwork, relationships, his friendship with Ron, and myriad other lesser problems for seven and a half years.

Never mind that she had sent her parents off without their memories just to be with him.

Never mind the fact that she gave up her only meaningful relationship to stay with him.

At times it had made her deeply resentful of him. There were times she wanted to scream and hex him into a pile of jelly. But she always kept her composure and soldiered on. Convinced that helping him was the right thing to do, regardless of any neglect she felt on her part.

Ron, bless him, had always tried to help her in his own way. At times his humor was all that had helped her keep it together. Maybe that's why she had loved him so much. But what she really needed was for Harry to acknowledge that she needed his help as much as he needed hers. That their relationship was one of give and take instead of Hermione giving and giving.

The dam had almost burst tonight. When he made another one of his stupid remarks about how she was the reason he was alive she almost lost it. She was at her wits end with his emotional neglect and without Ron around she didn't have anything standing in her way.

But then, he had said what he said tonight. It wasn't so much that he said the words that she had waited to hear from him for seven years, but it was how much she saw he meant them. She had seen Harry make promises he wasn't keen on keeping and this wasn't one of those. He had genuinely meant every word.

She could read all the signs when he was feeling guilty about something, that being one of his trademarks, but she had never seen him more regretful and sorry about anything for as long as she had known him. He had known in that moment how much he had hurt her, without her even saying it and it spoke volumes to Hermione about her relationship with Harry. When she finally allowed herself to open that part of her up, he had seen it without any prodding.

It was this more than anything else that troubled her. Why was it she was so willing to trust him and communicate so well with him when they were fighting for their lives, but she hadn't been willing to let herself trust him any other time?

She went through her usual arguments: that it was a product of adrenaline, that Harry had had enough on his plate already, or that she was better off talking to Ginny. But the truth was that despite how helpful Ginny could be, what Hermione had needed most was her best friend and that was Harry.

The other truth was that while it was true that Harry could have been much more attentive to her, Hermione never asked him for help either. Never once had she tried to tell him, verbally or otherwise, that she needed him. Never allowed him to see.

Why was that?

Why did she even care that he wasn't more involved in her more mundane worries?

If she did care so much, why had she never approached him about it?

While the truth was perhaps more complicated than she'd like to admit, the simple answer was that she had never felt worthy of him attending to her problems. Despite how upset she was that he didn't seem to care, if she was honest with herself, she never really expected him to. His problems had always looked so much larger and his need so much greater that she always convinced herself that his needs came first.

Not to mention that she had always had a low opinion of herself. It was easier to simply accept his neglect without approaching him than to approach him and be crushed by rejection. Deep down, she had been grateful that a guy like Harry had noticed her at all, let alone be friends with her, and so she was willing to put up with the emotional neglect if it meant she could keep her place.

That was, after all, the primary reason she developed a loyalty to him so fast. Her first year had not exactly been easy. Ron's comments on Halloween had spoken to her every fear: that no one liked her and that she would never fit in. But when Harry and Ron had come to rescue her from the troll, it wasn't some romantic notion of being saved by the shining knights in armor that made her lie to McGonagall, it had been the simple realization that they had remembered her. That he had remembered her. When they followed it up by becoming friends with her, her loyalty was sealed.

That was what made what Harry said so special. It wasn't just that he was trying to correct a wrong he had done. It was that, in his eyes, she was something special. She was someone that he cared about, not just because of what she had done for him, but because of who she was. He had said she was the most loyal and compassionate person he knew. To think that he would compare her to Ron or anyone else and not find her lacking was the sweetest thing anyone had ever told her (her parents excluded of course).

And he meant it. Merlin those green eyes of his were so intense. She could feel it in her bones that he cared, that he was sorry. She knew in her heart that she never had to worry about dealing with her problems without him again. It was ridiculous of course, to base all of that off one conversation, but she knew Harry. When he set his mind to something, there was nothing in the world that would stop him. She had seen that first hand.

Well, if he was planning on starting tonight, it was as good a time as any. She had been holding it together regarding Ron, but now that he wasn't physically present it was truly sinking in that it was over. She knew it to be the right thing, so why did it have to hurt so bloody much? It was time to put Harry's promise to use.


	10. Chapter 10

Ron had no trouble spotting Charlie at the terminal. The flaming red hair of his older brother couldn't be missed. "Oi! Charlie!"

Charlie gave him a warm smile and a thump on the back. "It's good to see you Ron, how has your trip been?"

"It's been great. Mostly." Ron hesitated, he didn't want to jump right in about Hermione.

"You can tell me all about it when we get to my place. My roommates are all working so we'll have it to ourselves while you're here."

"Brilliant. Have you heard from mum and dad?" he couldn't help the worried tone his voice took.

"They're…managing. Bill and Fleur left a week ago. George and Percy are still at home for now. Mum says George is still….lost."

Charlie's voice was tinged with the grief that still hung over their family. Ron wondered how long it would be before things ever went back to normal, if they would ever go back to whatever "normal" would be in this new world.

Charlie's place was a small, three bedroom cottage perched high in the mountains. It had never surprised Ron that Charlie chose to work out here with dragons. He had always been the most adventurous of his brothers, though Ron had probably taken that title in the past few years. Ron chuckled to himself at the thought.

As they settled in for some tea they chatted idly about Charlie's work, Norbert, and the places Ron had been on holiday. He tried to mask the hurt in his voice when he mentioned Hermione, but Charlie had always been good at cottoning on when something was upsetting him.

"What's the part I'm missing here little bro? There's something bothering you." His brother gave him a sympathetic look. Ron hesitated, unsure of where to begin.

So he told his brother everything that happened while they had stayed in Vienna, his night out with Hermione and her breaking up with him. Charlie took in his story quietly and let the silence hang on the air when he finished, ensuring that Ron had fully spoken his piece.

"Well Ron, what do you think about it?"

Ron was unsure how to answer. He knew that it was his own responsibility and he had simply blew his chance one too many times, but admitting it felt like he was letting his family down all over again. It was the night he showed up at Bill and Fleur's all over again.

Charlie caught his eyes. "Ron, we all have to own up to what happens in our lives. It's part of being a man. You should know by now that nothing you could do changes the way your family feels about you, or Hermione for that matter. We love you no matter what."

"That's what Bill said." Ron mumbled.

"He was right then and he's right now. It shows strength of character to admit when you've made a mistake. Bill and I both were very proud of you for going to him and being honest about what happened."

Ron felt his face turning red. It wasn't often that he felt like his family was proud of him. He heaved a great sigh.

"I blew it Charlie. I could have had the girl of my dreams and I blew it." It felt so final now that he said it out loud. Ron felt his stomach turn to lead. Charlie looked sympathetically at his little brother.

"I thought she forgave you for that?"

"It wasn't just that." Every major fight Ron and Hermione had ever had went flashing through his mind, all the ugly things he had said and times he had walked away.

"I let her down so many times; it was just one time too many."

Ron sat and stared at his shoe laces. He felt completely numb. It was too surreal that he was sitting here with Charlie talking about himself and Hermione in the past tense.

He could feel Charlie's gaze still on him. There was no sound other than his deep and shaking breaths.

"I know it hurts Ron and unfortunately there's not a thing in the world I can say to make you feel better."

Charlie moved next to him and put his arm around his shoulders. Ron could feel the prickling behind his eyes and his chest start to shake.

"What am I supposed to do now?" He forced his head up to look his older brother in the face. Charlie had a pained expression, clearly empathizing with his younger brother.

"Well first of all, I don't think your friendship with Hermione is something to throw aside. So I think you're going to have to find a way to live within those boundaries in your relationship."

Charlie gave Ron a brotherly pat on the shoulder, "but ultimately this is your life. You have to decide for yourself how to deal with this new reality. Personally? I think the bond you have with Hermione is far too deep for you to even entertain the thought of losing her friendship. Even when she starts seeing other people."

That Charlie had said "when" and not "if" sent a shot of pain through Ron's heart. As to who that person might be, Ron couldn't stop himself from asking "Charlie, what if she starts going out with Harry?"

Charlie frowned, "Where is Harry at with Ginny?"

"I don't know." Ron answered truthfully, "All I know is that I can't think of anyone I know that's closer than Harry and Hermione."

He could see the cogs turning in Charlie's mind. "I think then that that's a possibility that you need to consider. Do you think Harry would do that? Knowing how much it might hurt your feelings?"

"I think…" Ron thought hard about his two best friends. He thought about how they had always maintained that they were nothing but platonic. He believed them, he truly did, but would they stay that way now? "I think that he might, but that he would talk to me about it before anything happened."

"And how would you feel about that? What would you tell him?"

Ron pictured himself and Harry at the Burrow, Harry telling him that he was in love with Hermione and wanted to know if Ron would be okay with them going out. It made his stomach churn.

His greatest fear had always been that Hermione preferred Harry to him. It was why he had always been so jealous of how close they were. The horrible image from the horcrux came to his mind.

But Ron had had his chance hadn't he? It wasn't Harry's fault that Ron didn't ask Hermione to the Yulee Ball or that Ron had dated Lavender out of spite. Pushing down again the sadness of Lavenders death that crept up at the thought of her, Ron had to admit to himself that Harry had never once done anything to interfere with his relationship to Hermione. Their relationship had failed strictly on their own terms.

He still loved Hermione and he loved Harry. Didn't they deserve to be happy? Did anyone in the world deserve that more than Harry? Even if being with Hermione was what made him happy?

"I would tell him that he's my best mate and…" Ron took a deep breath and shut his eyes, picturing looking into Harry's face. "...and if being with her is what makes him happy, then how could I possibly take that away from him?" He felt a solitary tear escape his eye and slide down his cheek. When he opened his eyes it was joined by two more.

Charlie's face held a grimace of pain, but he nodded his head approvingly. "You truly are a great man and a great friend. I couldn't be prouder of you. Mom and Dad would be very proud of you."

He took Ron into a tight hug. Ron finally stopped trying to hold it in and sobbed into Charlie's shoulder. Charlie had always been the one that he could go to and not worry about being ribbed or made fun of for crying. They stayed that way until Ron had no more tears to shed and his breathing had stopped coming in short gasps.

"You're going to be alright Ron, I promise. One day this will all be just a memory. As for Harry and Hermione, there's no sense in bothering yourself over something that you can't control and that frankly, doesn't exist right now." Ron could do more than nod his head in response.

"I tell you what little brother, let's get your mind of Hermione for a couple of days. Why don't we go on a hiking trip, just the two of us? I'll take you by our hunting camp and you can see the specimen we caught yesterday. Sound like a plan?"

Charlie was back to his usual cheerful and carefree self. Ron couldn't help but feel elated at the prospect of spending time with his brother. Personally, he had had his fill of dragons, but the company more than made up for it.

"Brilliant Charlie, positively brilliant."


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione felt better than she had in days.

She had gone to Harry last night just to talk about Ron. It had been her way to test the waters on Harry's new commitment to being there and had been pleasantly surprised at how in tune they could be.

Hermione knocked purposefully on the door adjoining their two rooms. After about a minute she heard his footsteps before a very groggy looking Harry appeared in the doorway.

"Hermione? Is everything okay?" Even as groggy as he was, his concern shone through.

"Yeah, it's just…"

"Sinking in that it's over?"

Hermione could feel her eyes begin to water and simply nodded. Harry pulled her in and hugged her as she fought a losing battle against her sobs. It struck her that this was twice that she found herself crying into his shoulder in a matter of weeks. Not only that, but tonight he had initiated it. This was something different in their relationship: it was usually Hermione that initiated any physical contact.

"Thanks Harry." She managed to hiccup. She broke off their embrace and wiped her eyes. Harry ran his hand through his hair and Hermione could see the wheels turning.

"Er…sorry that I'm not sure what to say. Never been any bloody good with this stuff." His honesty had a way of making his cluelessness endearing.

"I'll give you a hint Harry: Ice cream."

Harry chuckled. "Alright then, go settle on the couch and I'll see what I can do."

He went into his bedroom and Hermione only heard footsteps before the hall door seemingly opened and closed of its own volition. She chuckled to herself, he had donned the invisibility cloak. It would have been easy enough to simply disapparate to an all-night supermarket and buy the ice cream, but Harry still had his taste for adventure, even if he kept it to simple endeavors like nicking ice cream from a hotel café' nowadays.

They had spent the next hour or so on the couch watching the lame re-runs that television stations play at four am and eating ice cream. Hermione didn't remember falling asleep, but the next thing she knew she was waking up in her own bed and the sun was out.

After a shower and some breakfast with Harry, he had taken her on a grand tour of the city. They toured the Acropolis as well as many temples and other ancient structures. He also took her to a magical museum that chronicled how witches and wizards had influenced Greek culture.

She of course, had the time of her life examining the many exhibits and pointing out to Harry the names she had run across in her many readings. Harry, for his part, had seemed genuinely interested in many of the sights (or at least had been polite enough to feign it).

They finished off the day by finding a cozy spot for an evening picnic to watch the sun set over the Aegean. They long sat in silence sipping on some local wine selections before a thought came to her mind.

"Harry? When did I fall asleep last night?" Of course she wasn't really interested in what time it had been, she wanted to hear from him how he got her to her own bed.

"Right about five in the morning. You fell sleep with your mouth open and your hand still going for the ice cream, it was actually quite funny. Oi!"

Hermione had smacked him on the arm. "What was that for?" He faked being indignant, but was doing terrible. He still had his lopsided grin and couldn't stop laughing.

"I was tired!" the heat rising in her cheeks.

"Yeah you were. Didn't even wake up when I carried you back to your room."

Hermione blushed. "That was very sweet of you Harry."

Now it was Harry's turn to blush.

"Don't mention it."

Another amicable silence fell as the sky turned a brilliant mix of oranges and pinks. It had become a ritual almost every day for them to watch the sunset. They all had a favorite so far. Ron had liked the way the sun had set off Notre Dame while Harry had liked Rome's the best. Hermione thought her new favorite was the one in front of her.

She briefly wondered what Ron was doing. He was probably doing something fun with Charlie, maybe involving some dragons. She personally had had enough dealings with dragons for a lifetime, but hoped that Ron was enjoying himself.

When they had vanished the picnic, Harry and Hermione walked a little further across the field until they found a low stone wall. Harry took a seat leaning against it while Hermione situated herself leaning against Harry's chest, sitting between his long legs.

By the look on Harry's face she had taken him off guard with their seating arrangement, but Hermione really wanted the feeling of being held. It made her feel better about Ron's absence, which had slowly been creeping back into her conscience.

So they sat that way until the sun disappeared and the first stars came out. They then slid a little further down in order to look up at the clear night sky. They pointed out constellations to one another and made up new ones. When he wasn't pointing, Harry's arms wrapped around Hermione, making her feel safe. She had always felt safe in his arms.

She wasn't sure why, but the air seemed warmer laying there with Harry. The smell of the grass blended with his scent which had a calming effect like she had rarely felt before. Soon all thoughts of her broken heart were far from her mind. She was having the best day in months with her best friend. Right then that was all that mattered.

* * *

Harry was taken aback by Hermione's choice of seating arrangements. He had planned on their usual side by side, but she had situated herself in between his legs and leaned back into his chest. He could smell her hair which had a very pleasant scent that Harry couldn't place.

They sat that way for a while, Harry comfortably draping his arms around her, when suddenly something clicked in his mind. He had the sudden image of a furious Ginny and realized that this was perhaps not the best idea he had had. What if Ron came back and found them like this?

* * *

Hermione could feel her eyelids getting heavy when Harry's next words woke her from her reverie.

"Hermione, I think we should head back. I don't think Ron or Ginny would appreciate the way we've been sitting here." His voice was thick with guilt.

Hermione's mind whirred. Had she really been so thick as to not think about how this would look to an observer? Anybody who spotted them lying there probably saw star crossed lovers instead of best friends.

 _Ginny._

Hermione had completely forgotten about her best female friend. She could picture the look of fury the redhead would have if she saw them together right then. Hermione felt herself flush at the thought and leaped to her feet before helping Harry up with a trembling hand.

"I..I'm sorry Harry. I don't know what I was thinking. I was just, I just wanted to feel safe and…..oh Harry I'm so stupid. I.."

"Shhh."

Harry placed his finger on her lips.

* * *

"Shhh."

Hermione's eyes went wide and she instantly stopped her stammering. Harry couldn't help but notice she was blushing furiously. He wondered what made her have that reaction, but couldn't help but notice how cute she looked right now. And what was that part about feeling safe?

"It's okay Hermione. It's not like we were out here making out or anything. It's like you said before, we just have to be careful how we act. And if Ron or Ginny had walked up they wouldn't have liked the way we were sitting here. You did nothing wrong, we both were simply enjoying the company."

Her face was the same shade of red as Weasley hair. What on earth had gotten into her?

He hated that the Weasley jealousy kept them from just being themselves with each other, but none the less he felt like it had been the right thing to do. It had been her idea to be careful how they acted after all and Hermione was usually right, especially when it came to people's feelings. He just wished he knew what in blazes was going through her mind that had made her blush so hard. Girls could be so weird sometimes.

* * *

 _Bullocks._

As if she wasn't already embarrassed enough at thinking about being seen with Harry by Ginny, he had to put his finger on her lips like that. Why was she blushing like a schoolgirl? Harry had touched her loads of times without so much as a trace of pink in her cheeks and here she is turning scarlet at the lightest of touches.

Maybe she was just in a sensitive mood with the whole Ron thing so fresh. He lowered his hand and she looked him in the eyes. God his eyes were beautiful. She had always known that but why had she never really noticed it before. This of course made no sense even in her mind. She was vaguely aware that Harry was talking.

"…It's not like we were out here making out or anything."

A sudden image of herself furiously kissing Harry flashed through her mind and a fresh rush of blood swept up to her face. What was wrong with her? She hadn't thought about kissing Harry since that time in first year before Harry went to face Quirrell.

It registered in her mind that Harry had finished talking. She hadn't really been listening at all but knew she was now expected to give some sort of response.

"I…yeah you're right. Wanna go for a walk?"

"Uh..sure. We'll take the scenic route back."

Glad to be escaping the embarrassing mess she found herself in, Hermione settled into stride next to Harry. She had to take a few more steps to keep up with his lengthy strides, but years of practice held her squarely next to him.

Nothing disturbed the quiet for a while before Harry broke the silence.

"Can I ask you something?"

Harry stopped walking and Hermione turned to face him. The moonlight reflected off his skin making it look paler than usual, though the effect was flattering. It really set off his jet black hair.

"Of course. What is it?"

"Remember when we were in the Forest of Dean? And you suggested that we just stay there and grow old?"

How could she have forgotten it? It was right after their harrowing run in with Voldemort in Godric's Hollow and she had labored for what seemed like years without rest to treat Harry's wounds. She had been so deathly afraid of losing him then, of being left utterly alone.

"Yes I do Harry, why?"

"You knew then, didn't you?"

She knew without asking he was referring to himself being a horcrux. She had indeed just figured it out when Harry had woken up. She had had a hunch before, but the previous events had all but assured her she was right. She had never wanted more to be proven wrong. It had been her worst nightmares come true.

"Yes."

* * *

Harry gave her a searching look. He knew there was more to her answer, but Hermione wasn't about to volunteer anything.

Hermione's answer set off a chain reaction in Harry's mind. He had been going over all the details of the past year ever since they had left England, working his way through trying to process it all. He thought it would help him gain some closure. By and large it was true, but it also brought with it questions.

At the time, her statement had struck him as Hermione losing hope. He remembered the icy feeling in his chest knowing that even Hermione, who trusted him more than anyone else, was beginning to think their battle hopeless. But now he understood. In her mind, it would have been the only way to keep him alive.

He felt a knot twisting in his gut at remembering that the very next thing that had happened was he had blown up at her about his wand. She had just saved his life for the umpteenth time, was trying to save it again, and his response was to be a selfish git and bemoan his wand. Everyday seemed to provide a new reason to be grateful for Hermione.

* * *

"I'm sorry I was such a stupid git about my wand."

There he went, being guilty again. She swore one day she would break him of feeling like he had to be guilty about something at least once or twice a day.

"It's understandable you would be upset about your wand Harry."

Truthfully there was a part of her that was grateful to hear him apologize about it. She had been in such a horrible place in her own heart; his attitude about his wand had nearly broken her at the time. But there was no sense in rehashing it all now. It was all ancient history.

Yet, she wanted to tell him. Something inside of her had been gnawing away at her to tell him exactly how she had felt ever since he had told her that he wanted to be there for her. Somehow, his new found attitude about caring for her left her feeling like she owed him the truth about how she had really felt about him all this time.

He was looking at her with curiosity; he knew she was lost in thought. She really couldn't hide from him.

"Harry, there's something I want to say." She took a deep breath, it was now or never. "You can't possibly know how desperate a place I was in at the time. You said you're sorry, and I believe you, but I think you should know this. I've never been more upset or bitter about you than I was that night. When I was sitting over you, desperately trying to heal your wounds and get you to wake up from whatever nightmare you were having, I was in a complete panic. Ron was gone and I thought for sure I was going to lose you too. Then, even after you woke up, I put the pieces together and knew I was going to lose you anyways. That the only way the whole nightmare would end was if you died. I wasn't joking when I suggested we stay there Harry. I had no idea what I would do without you. Then you snapped at me and I nearly lost it. I nearly lost my will to fight on that night. Only by talking myself into believing that you were in just as fragile a state of mind as me, and that you needed me, was I able to keep going."

Hermione hadn't realized a lone tear had escaped her eyes. Harry looked deeply hurt, not because she had offended him, but because of how badly he knew he had hurt her. Hermione almost smiled. She may not be able to hide from him anymore, but he did no better at hiding from her.

* * *

Even in her darkest moment, it had been her care for him that brought her back from the brink. How in the world did Harry deserve someone like Hermione Granger in his life? He would probably never know.

He couldn't even bring himself to say thank you, but a knowing look entered her eyes and he knew he didn't have to. She already knew.

As long as they were laying cards on the table, there was one more thing he had to know. He had to deal with this doubt in his mind that Ron had put there a week or so before.

* * *

"You said you would go with me."

So they were going to lay it all out there tonight huh? Hermione guessed that this was as good a time as any. She never expected they would go their whole lives without those words coming into conversation at some point.

"Yes, Harry and I would have. I just said it once, I'll say it again: I didn't, I don't know what I would do without you. You've been my best friend since I was eleven years old Harry. I've lived the past seven years of my life with you constantly by my side. I love you Harry. I was, I am with you to the end."

She hadn't meant to say that she loved him. It wasn't that she didn't love him, she loved him more than life itself, but she wasn't so sure in the moment how exactly she had meant it. She felt like she covered herself well, calling him her best friend. After all, that's exactly what he was. She had never felt as close to Ron as she did to Harry.

She felt a twinge of pain thinking about Ron. Ron was the one that she had pursued a relationship with. Ron was the one who always wanted her that way. Harry never had. Harry was much more like an older brother. He was protective and affectionate, but never once had it stopped them from pursuing romantic interests with others. Surely that meant something right?

Harry surely understood what she meant when she said she loved him. He had never once showed any romantic interest in her, so there simply wasn't anything to misunderstand. Their relationship was set in stone: the very best of friends and nothing more.

The only thing Hermione wasn't sure of was who it was she was trying to convince.


	12. Chapter 12

Harry was doing the same thing he had always done for the past few weeks when he had a problem he couldn't figure out: he was sitting on his bed and looking through the photo album that contained the only pictures he owned of his family.

He counted himself lucky that he had heard their voices speak to him on two different occasions, because it allowed him let the ideas in his mind take on their voices. It was the closest he would get to getting life advice from his parents.

Almost every parental figure he had ever had was dead: His actual parents, Sirius, Dumbledore, and Remus. He still had Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and he was supremely grateful, but he had a hunch that for this particular issue that they had a stake in the outcome.

That was because the issue that was rolling through his mind involved both their only daughter and the ex-girlfriend of their youngest son.

Hermione had been acting very strangely tonight. Well, maybe not acting strangely so much as reacting strangely. There was nothing new to Harry and Hermione walking and talking. There wasn't anything new to them holding hands or sitting together. What was new was the subtle changes in Hermione's reactions. Her blushing, the way she jumped to her feet when he mentioned Ron and Ginny, and her mentioning feeling "safe".

The one strange action was her choice to sit between his legs. It had caught Harry off guard, but he had chosen at first to simply go with it rather than spoil the moment. Only once he had pictured Ginny walking up did he decide it was time to move. After all, it had been quite pleasant to be in such close company. It reminded him very much of the way he and Ginny would sit by the lake on warm afternoons at Hogwarts.

That was just it wasn't it? He was missing Ginny and Hermione probably missed Ron. That was what had brought it about, right? It wasn't as if either of them seriously considered the other as a romantic possibility. At least, he had thought that until Ron had told him that Hermione at least had thought otherwise.

With her relationship with Ron over, was Hermione starting to look at him that way?

It would explain some of the subtle differences in her actions the past couple of days, but so would their heart to heart the previous night. Maybe they were just basking in the glow of a friendship that had reached an all-time high?

Besides, he still had never considered her as a romantic possibility before. Even now something about it didn't seem quite right. His relationship with Hermione had never been any different, even if it was deeper, than the one he had with Ron, it just so happened that Hermione was a girl instead of a boy.

Granted, he knew she was a girl. A beautiful one in fact. The Yule Ball had been enough to show him that his best friend was a very pretty girl indeed. He hadn't been lying to her fifth year when he told her she wasn't ugly.

Still, he had never thought about her like that. He had always known Ron fancied her, probably before Ron knew himself, and he would never think of betraying his friend's trust. So he unconsciously had put up a wall in his mind to keep it from going there.

But she had broken it off with Ron. Where did that leave them? Even if Ginny wasn't in the picture, did this mean he could bring that wall down? Ron surely wouldn't like it and anything that could possibly injure both of his closest friendships was still a no go.

She had said she loved him. She had never said that to him before. She had called him his best friend and that he knew. Maybe she just meant that she loved him as her best friend.

But there had been something different in her voice, something he had never heard before. Come to think of it, it was the same thing he had heard in her voice that night in Rome when she had comforted him on the balcony.

There were just so many "but's" to go along with that.

She had been with Ron still back in Rome.

She had never seemed to care for him as anything more than a friend before.

She just broke up with his best friend.

Repeat: she had never seemed to care about him that way before.

Harry wished he knew exactly how she felt, but he didn't want to do anything that might make the rest of the trip awkward. Their friendship was the best thing he had going for him at the moment, so doing anything to jeopardize that seemed selfish.

Besides, Ginny was still in the picture, even if he wasn't sure what exactly how he felt about her anymore. Ginny deserved her fair shot didn't she?

He really did want to be with her. At least….he was pretty sure he did. It would all make sense when he got back and saw her again.

Maybe he was just blowing this all out of proportion.

* * *

Hermione was transfiguring every object in her room that wasn't nailed down, to the effect that her room was now filled with seemingly random objects like beach balls or umbrellas instead of pillows or drawers. Spellwork had always been a way for her to vent whenever she had things pent up inside of her and now was no different.

"What's wrong with me?" She huffed to herself as the transfigured her television into a watch.

She had broken up with the love of her life just a few days ago and here she was coming onto the boyfriend of her best girlfriend. At least, they would be boyfriend and girlfriend when they returned. Or something. She wasn't really sure where they "officially" were, just that they wanted to be together.

Why had she made such a fool of herself tonight? Blushing like they had just been caught in a broom closet together. She was surprised that Harry hadn't told her off. She certainly felt like she deserved it.

She tried to explain it away. She was just missing Ron. She was in a vulnerable state because of their breakup and so this was just her way of rebounding.

But she knew that Harry meant more to her than some "rebound guy". She couldn't lie to herself about the depth of feelings she had for the boy anymore. She had already told him about it anyways. Her messy haired neighbor meant more to her than anyone else in the world.

But was it really like that? Maybe she had just been swept up in the emotion of this new level of friendship that her and Harry seemed to reach.

Maybe she was already panicking about retrieving her parents in a few days' time (okay that for sure was true).

Maybe she was just overreacting to everything that had happened tonight.

She analyzed every movement she had made tonight. Went through it in her mind to see if she had given him any sort of signal that she felt for him as anything more than a friend. Other than the blushing, she thought that by and large she hadn't.

Even sitting between his legs like that was something that she imagined a brother and sister would do. She could certainly picture Ginny sitting like that with any one of her brothers (well, maybe not Percy). At least she did a good job of convincing herself of this.

Logically, it made sense that she was simply emotionally vulnerable right now and had sought some comfort with her best friend. There wasn't anything else to be gleaned from it. Her blushing simply came down to her picturing Ron's face if he saw them that way, but he had always been jealous of practically everything her and Harry did together so that wasn't news. She was just overreacting.

Convinced at least for the moment, that she wasn't experiencing new feelings of any sort with Harry, her mind turned to her other dilemma.

Ron. She felt a wave of sadness wash over her. She really did miss him. He had always been very adept at either making her feel better with laughter or else distracting her from her troubles with something to argue about. Heaven knows that boy liked to argue. He would argue over the color of the sky with a fencepost. Still, she missed it.

Wishing for some kind of comfort and reminder of him, she did the only thing that came to mind.

" _Expecto Patronum_!"

Out of her wand came bounding the playful otter that had been her patronus since she learned to cast it in fifth year. She would never tell a soul, but she had struggled so mightily to cast it properly because her happiest memories involved Ron. Given that her feelings for him at the moment were always in flux, it had interfered with her ability to cast the spell. Once she had gone through different memories, she had finally found one that had worked for her.

It was at the Burrow during one of her visits there. She and Ron had gone on an adventure through the woods behind the house together. They had found the little river that wound through the trees and had chased each other up and down the banks as the otters played in the water. It was the first time she had realized that she loved Ron. That was why her patronus had taken the shape of an otter. It symbolized her love for him.

Hermione wondered if her patronus would stay an otter now that she and Ron were over. Tonks' patronus had changed when she fell in love with Remus, so maybe when she found someone else hers would change too. How long would that take? How long would she have to live with this broken heart that he had left her with?

Not that she blamed him. Not anymore. She had spent too much time going over everything that had happened between them to think herself entirely without responsibility in how their relationship had turned out.

She often wondered what she could have done differently. How she could have changed things to keep them together. She poured over every scenario, dissecting them to find where she could have said or done something differently.

Not that it would do any good. There was no changing the past, at least, not since the Ministry's stock of Time Turners was destroyed. Besides, she doubted that they would let her go back just to change her love life. They had been supremely reluctant to let her use it to take extra classes.

There were tiny moments when she regretted her decision to break up with him. Moments when she strongly considering going after him one more time to beg him to come back.

 _Again._

That was usually the one word that kept her from doing it. The knowledge that it wouldn't be the first time and probably wouldn't be the last time she would go hunting after him. She remembered something Dumbledore had said at the end of fourth year.

"….Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy,…"

Of course, at the time it had nothing to do with making decisions in her love life, but it still rang true to her now. Breaking up with him had not been the easy choice, but it had been the right one.

Hermione's patronus bounded around the room playfully for a few moments while she followed it with her eyes. A small and sad smile crept onto her face. She would allow herself to feel, just one more time, the bittersweet feeling of all those moments she had cherished with him: all their adventures with Harry, the trips to Diagon Alley, and the rides on the Hogwarts Express, their prefect patrols together, their holidays together, and their kiss in the Chamber of Secrets.

She blinked away the tears. One day, she would regard them with nothing but joy and nostalgia. But she would have to put them away for a while after tonight. They were just too painful right now.

Her patronus kept its playful circles going for about ten minutes before it bounded its way out the window and out of sight. It would be the last time she would ever see the playful otter patronus again.


	13. Chapter 13

Ron and Charlie were sprawled on either side of a campfire laughing themselves into stitches. Ron couldn't even remember the last time he had laughed this much. Charlie was in the midst of retelling one of his favorite Hogwarts stories.

"So….so then he runs right into Tonks, who by this point has made herself look like Sprout, and he just starts babbling at the top of his lungs about how he's been under the Imperious curse this whole time!"

Charlie could barely get the story out between his hoots of laughter. Ron was grateful for the distraction, Charlie had promised to get his mind off Hermione and so far he was delivering. He had always loved hearing Charlie's stories from Hogwarts, particularly when they involved his legendary quidditch career, but most of tonight's stories involved Charlie's adventures with his friends. None of them involved dark wizards or saving the world of course. Ron briefly wondered how different his life could have been without Voldemort.

"Earth to Ron?" Charlie had noticed Ron go quiet.

"It's nothing, just wondering what a normal Hogwarts experience must be like."

Charlie gave him a sympathetic look. "You lot never did get a chance at that, unless you decide to go back this year." Ron could see the hidden question.

Truth was he had given it a lot of thought and no matter how he stacked it, it just made sense to finish out his N.E.W.T.s.

"Yeah you're right. It will be nice to finally get that experience, even if it's in my final year."

They sat in amiable silence for a while, taking in the scenery. They had hiked among the mountains for two days now. Charlie had offered to take Ron to a camp where his buddies were currently holding some fresh caught dragons, but Ron had declined. He just wanted his brother's company and he really had had his fill of dragons for one lifetime.

They were currently camped on a small plateau on the outer skirts of the Carpathian Mountains. The land seemed to stretch forever in front of them and the lights from the towns and villages seemed like tiny fireflies from their height. It was also a clear night and the stars seemed close enough to touch. It was all quiet and beautiful.

It was just what he needed. Tomorrow was when he would be meeting his friends again to head to Australia. After spending a few days away from them, he had very mixed feelings about returning. He missed his friends and genuinely wished for their presence even now, but the hurt was still very fresh from Hermione. It would be a bittersweet reunion.

"Wanna talk about it?" Charlie had moved to sit next to him.

"I don't know that there's much else to say."

This was not strictly true. Ron could think of a million things he wanted to say to Hermione: A million different apologies, arguments why they should be together, or ways to beg her to come back. He thought very briefly of leaving to go after her, but knew it would only make things worse. He knew that Hermione had made her decision and it was final.

"You know, you are a great guy to not give up her friendship over this. I'll say it again, I'm very proud of you." Charlie patted Ron on the back. "It proves just how much you've grown. I know it's clichéd to tell you this, but this too shall pass. I know it hurts, but it won't hurt forever and you will be very grateful to have a friend like her."

Ron gave Charlie a grateful look. He knew what his brother said was true, even if it didn't change the fact that it hurt like hell at the moment.

He sat by the small campfire just watching the flickering lights below and the stars above for ages not saying a word. Charlie bid him goodnight and gave him a warm hug around midnight. Ron knew that he understood.

Ron took out a small stone that he kept in his pocket at all times. He had picked it up that day that he and Hermione had went running along the river through the woods watching the otters play. It was the happiest he had ever been in his life. He had picked the stone from the riverbank in order to always remember that day.

He ran his fingers over its smooth surface. Anger welled within him and his first and overwhelming instinct was to throw it as far as he could; but he knew that he would regret it the second that he did it.

Instead, he simply stared at it, remembering every small detail about that day: the sunshine dappling through the trees, the soft gurgling of the river, the way her brown hair had flown wild behind her, and those soft brown eyes that had simply melted his heart.

He didn't realize he had picked up his wand or cast a spell until the silver light of his patronus alerted him of its presence. The small terrier jumped around the rocks in front of him like it was having the time of its life. Ron felt hot tears running down his cheeks. As the memory faded from his mind the patronus leapt into the brush and out of sight.

He didn't know how long he had sat there, but it seemed like an eternity until his breath evened out and the tears stopped pricking at his eyes. He honestly did feel better, like a huge weight had been taken from his chest cavity. He knew that Hermione would need his support on their trip to Australia, and he was determined to be the best help he could.

He sensed that now that he had reached some sort of equilibrium on his feelings for her. It hurt still, but he knew now that he thought of her still as his best friend besides Harry. He was more worried about her and getting her parents back than he was about how he was going to feel seeing her again.

He smiled. Everything was back to the way it should be.


	14. Chapter 14

Harry and Hermione were standing at terminal fifty-seven, waiting on flight 341 from Bucharest. Once Ron joined them they would be catching their first of three connecting flights to get so Sydney, Australia. From there they would start their search for Hermione's parents.

Hermione had been quiet all morning. The only thing she had said since breakfast was to remind Harry which terminal they needed to await Ron. He knew her well enough to know that between her pacing and the way she kept biting her bottom lip that she was very anxious.

"What's bothering you?"

She looked at him as if she had just realized he was there. "Oh, it's nothing Harry."

"Hermione, at the rate you're pacing you are going to wear a groove into the floor. Tell me what's on your mind. Are you worried about finding your parents?"

"I'm not so much worried about finding them as I am what will happen then. What if I mess up the reversal spell for the memory charm? What if they're mad at me? What if they want to stay and forget all about me anyways? What if something happened to them? I just have no idea what is going to happen."

Hermione came to a stop in front of him, her hair frizzled from her constantly running her hands through it and her eyes were glassy from anxiety. Harry took her hands in his and gave them a firm squeeze while giving her his most reassuring smile.

"It's going to be alright Hermione."

She returned his smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"How can you be so sure?" her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Because I'm here." He gave her the biggest and stupidest grin he could. It had the desired effect; Hermione laughed and gave him a genuine smile.

"You can't know how grateful I am for that." She replied with that same quiet voice.

They stood for a minute just gazing at one another when an announcement came over the intercom.

"Oh Harry, his flight is here!"

Sure enough, Ron's flight was disgorging its passengers and it wasn't long before they caught sight of the lanky frame and red hair of the third member of their trio. Catching sight of them, Ron bounded over and wrapped them both in a hug.

"So good to see you two! Enjoy your time in Greece?" Ron looked happier than Harry had seen him in awhile.

Hermione stole a quick glance at Harry before responding, "Yes it was wonderful! I'll have to tell you all about Aristotle and…"

"Alright alright, maybe some other time Hermione. Let's go get some real food I'm starved." Hermione gave him a reproachful look.

"Well I did get you a very fascinating book on the origins of quidditch, but I suppose since you don't want to hear me out..."

"Didn't mean to cut you short 'Mione, I haven't eaten since sunrise."

"It's always food with you Ronald!"

"Glad to see you too 'Mione."

Even though they were bickering, Ron and Hermione were both smiling at each other. Harry couldn't help but grin, his two friends were back to normal. Their trio would survive the end of their relationship after all.

"Hey Harry, can Ron and I have a word in private?" she nervously bit her lip.

"Sure, I'll wait for you guys at the food court."

* * *

Hermione simply looked at Ron for a moment, trying to remember what she had rehearsed in her mind to say at this moment. For once in her life her mind went completely blank.

"Have I managed to stump the brilliant Hermione?" Ron chuckled and smiled at her.

"Nearly." Her voice sounded like it was coming from far away.

"Come on, what's wrong?"

"I…" she began, her throat constricting, "I'm sorry Ron. I hate that I pulled you in so many directions these past few weeks. It was awful of me to do what I did. I never…"

"Hermione, don't." Ron interrupted.

"But Ron…"

"No, don't do this to yourself. You did what you had to do. I respect that."

She let out a massive sigh and her shoulders slumped. "I just…I want you to know I'm sorry and that if you don't want to come you don't have to. You could go and be with your family."

Of course, she didn't want that at all. She wanted him to come nearly as badly as she wanted Harry. She needed both of her boys. Her boys. That was what the other Gryffindor girls had always called them.

"I'm going with you. You're my best friend. Besides, I know you don't actually want me to leave." Ron gave her a crooked grin.

Letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, Hermione laughed. "Good, because you're right. Thank you, Ron. You're a good friend. You know I love you right?"

His smile faded a little and she knew that it hurt him to think that she didn't mean it "that way" anymore, but she could see the genuine affection reflected in his glassy sky blue eyes.

* * *

A feeling akin to a large stone being dropped in Ron's stomach had briefly overwhelmed him, but he knew exactly what she meant and he had no desire to lose it.

"I know. I love you too."

Ron saw in her brown eyes a look of immense relief and she hugged him. It wasn't the bone crunching variety that she reserved for Harry, but it was just fine by Ron.

"You know, I would love for you to regale me on the origins of quidditch." He gave her a grin.

"Well, you see it all started in the fifth century BCE…"

She talked rapid fire as they walked towards the food court. Maybe it was a little dull and maybe there was a small ache in his chest, but Ron couldn't be any happier if he tried.

* * *

Harry saw his two friends walking towards him: her chatting non-stop about something and him looking genuinely interested. He chuckled to himself imagining what Hermione was subjecting him to.

"We better hurry if we don't want to miss our flight." He interjected into Hermione's diatribe about the origins of Olympic quidditch.

Mentioning the flight seemed to bring awareness to all three of what they were embarking upon. They both look worried and Harry felt his own face furrow into a concerned look, but he could also see in Ron and Hermione both the same steely determination they had always had when following him.

One more trip, one more adventure and maybe it would finally feel over. He certainly hoped so. Either way, come hell or high water, the three of them would face it together.


	15. Chapter 15

**Volume Two**

* * *

It was one of the worst rainstorms Harry had ever seen. Rain fell in sheets that blew over the bay, reminding him forcefully of the flailing limbs of the Whomping Willow. The thunder was a constant low rumbling that never seemed to relent. Nothing within a hundred yards of the hotel window could be discerned with any real credibility.

Ron and Hermione were sharing the small couch in the sitting area of their hotel room pouring over the final details of the plan. Hermione had confirmed the day before that her parents were indeed here in Sydney, running a small practice out of a medical pavilion not far from where they were. They lived in a modest condo overlooking the bay directly across from them.

"Okay, let's go over it one last time." Hermione was jittery and had gone over the plan with them at least a dozen times since they had arrived in Australia two days previously.

"Give it a rest Hermione, we know the plan. You need to relax." Ron whined next to her.

"Relax?! How exactly am I supposed to relax Ronald!" she snapped back.

"Okay, okay, one last time, where do we start?" Harry attempted to defuse the situation by giving Hermione one last time to go through the plan.

"Okay. We're going to take a bus to their condo tomorrow when the Wilkins' have returned from work." She had taken to calling them by the fake names she herself had provided them. Harry thought it helped her focus without reminding herself that it was her own parents she was talking about.

"Ron, you and Harry are going to pretend to work for the company that they bought the condo from checking up on their satisfaction. I will be with you under the Invisibility Cloak. Hopefully, knowing the Wilkins', they will invite you inside. This will allow me to slip in unnoticed. All you have to do at that point is to get them both seated and facing you. I will then lift the memory charm. Then, well, we play it by ear."

Hermione hadn't lost the manic look in her eyes. Harry felt so powerless to help her; he had rarely seen her this way, like she was about to come apart at the seams and explode.

It was then that he had an idea. Ron would have to be quick on the uptake, but he trusted his friend to be up to the task.

"Hey Ron, maybe you should take her out for some fresh air and I'll brew some tea. You do need to at least try to relax Hermione."

While Hermione didn't seem to register how ridiculous a notion going outside in this storm was, Ron certainly did. Harry shot Ron a meaningful look, moving his eyes from his face to Hermione's handbag and back. His friend was not one to disappoint, picking up on Harry's plan beautifully.

"Come on Hermione, up you get." Ron placed an arm under Hermione and tried to get her standing up. Hermione stood like a zombie and followed Ron's prodding out the door and towards the elevator.

With them gone, Harry took out his wand and pointed it to her handbag. " _Accio potions!"_

Four different vials flew from Hermione's bag towards Harry who, with the true talent of Hogwarts' youngest seeker in a century, caught them effortlessly. Harry recognized the purple liquid of dreamless sleep potion in a larger vial that was nearly empty. She had clearly used most of her stock during their holiday on the Continent.

Harry took the vial to the small kitchen in the lobby downstairs and spiked Hermione's tea with the last portion. He knew what she needed more than anything was some rest for her mind.

Returning to the room he only waited for about five minutes before Ron and Hermione returned in the midst of a heated argument.

"They may never get their memories back Ron! What if I mess up the spell?! What if they get their memories back and hate me! That might even be worse! So STOP telling me to calm down! I will not calm down! Just because they won't be your in-laws doesn't mean that you should be so flippant about their fate! What about _me_ Ron! How do you think I feel?!"

"Just stop! I care about you and your parents and you know it! I'm trying to help you! You're so scared of messing up the counter spell, but if you stay like this until the time comes then you are not going to be in a right state to cast it anyways!"

Ron's ears were the color of his hair and Hermione's hair looked like it had an electric charge.

Harry walked to Hermione and slid his hand into hers, gently rubbing her fingers with his thumb.

"Hermione?" he kept his voice as calm as possible, "Would you please sit here and drink some tea? I really think it will help."

She briefly looked like she might breathe fire in his direction, but his calm demeanor seemed to disarm her. Wordlessly she took a seat on the edge of the king sized bed and took a deep gulp from the teacup. Before she had even finished setting the cup back on the trey her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

Ron caught her before she hit the ground and Harry pushed the blankets back on the bed. Once she was situated both boys watched her sleep for a few moments.

"Do you really think this is going to work?" Ron was looking at Harry with a worried expression. Secretly, they were both as concerned as Hermione was, but they had kept that to themselves for her sake.

"I think if anyone can set this right she can." Harry tried to make his voice sound confident, but he wasn't sure Ron was convinced. He hadn't convinced himself either.

"You know she didn't mean that right?" Harry thought Hermione had gone a bit far by insinuating Ron had only cared about her parents as potential in-laws.

"I know, but she does know how to get under my skin." Ron sighed mightily.

"Will you keep an eye on her? I'm going to sit in the lobby a bit." Ron nodded and Harry made his way downstairs to the main lobby.

Finding a seat with a view of a small park that lead to the water's edge, Harry watched the rain pound the window.

It hadn't occurred to Harry before they reached Australia, but he had serious concerns about what was going to happen once the Grangers realized who they really were. _If_ they realized who they were. As much as Hermione needed them there, he thought that his presence might complicate things once they realize that it was primarily his fault that she had done what she did.

He was so tired of dealing with the aftermath of the war with Voldemort. The first month after the Battle of Hogwarts had been spent going from funeral to funeral, family to family, letting them know how much Harry thought of them. How they: Remus, Tonks, Fred, Colin, and so many others, were the real heroes. Harry had never been given a choice to fight Voldemort, they had had every opportunity to run or hide, yet they stood anyways.

He had been grateful for a week at the Burrow before spending three solid weeks on holiday with his two closest friends. It had been great to get away and process things, but he had known that there was still unfinished business. All the loose ends hadn't been taken care of yet.

Once Hermione had her family back, Harry thought that maybe it would give him the closure he needed. The assurance he so desperately wanted that the war was indeed over and that they could get to some sense of normalcy. However normal things could be in this new world.

Harry placed his head against the cool glass. The rhythm of the rain was soothing to his mounting headache. He was very worried about Hermione. This trip had been hard on her and they hadn't even seen the Grangers yet. He hoped beyond hope that they could forgive her. She had done it to protect them, to keep them safe so that she could go with him.

It hadn't really sunk in what Hermione had given up to be with him last year until their plane had landed here in Sydney. It hit him all at once when the wheels hit ground that his friend had given up her entire life in order to stand by his side. She erased herself from her own parents, the only family she had, for him.

Every day since they had left England, he seemed to learn yet another way in which she had gone above and beyond the reasonable for him. A strange warm feeling settled in Harry's chest. He had only had brief glimpses of what it was like to be truly loved. The Weasleys certainly did, but he had never been able to spend enough time with them and Sirius….Sirius had died before Harry got much of a chance to be with him either.

Hermione however, had followed him to the very depths of hell and back. She had stood by his side, helped him solve the mystery of the horcruxes and Hallows, healed his wounds, protected him, visited his parents graves with him, and been willing to walk into his own grave with him.

She loved him. He had never truly appreciated it until very recently, during a conversation they had while in Greece, but it was still sinking into him. It made him appreciate her all the more.

And he loved her. He had said it once before, when he told Ron that he loved her like a sister, but that had been something said at the spur of the moment to a boy who desperately needed to hear it.

He knew now that he loved her. Not that he was _in_ love with her. But he cared for her more than he cared about life itself. He was determined to do everything he could to help her put her life straight.

He would start by helping piece together her family again and nothing would stop him. They wouldn't hate Hermione because he wouldn't let them, he had formed a plan in his mind and he was now determined to follow through with it.

He hoped more than anything that Hermione would understand.


	16. Chapter 16

Hermione woke with a start, the last thing she remembered was drinking some tea at the edge of the bed and then….

Harry had spiked her drink with the last of the Dreamless Sleep potion. While her first instinct was to be furious, she remembered that she had done the very same thing just a few weeks before to both Harry and Ron when they had needed it. They had just been returning the favor.

She surveyed the room. It was early, only eight o'clock. Ron was snoring over on the couch. Harry's small cot was empty. Wondering what had him out of bed; Hermione took a quick shower before changing into a loose pair of jeans. She first grabbed one of Ron's old quidditch jersey's by instinct, but decided that it was still a little too soon and went with one of Harry's instead. It still smelled vaguely of him and it soothed her nerves.

Feeling invigorated, she went downstairs to look for Harry. She found him asleep in a chair in the lobby.

"Don't tell me you slept down here all night?" She gave him a concerned look. Harry woke and ran his hand through his already messy hair groggily.

"What time is it?" He muttered, stretching out his lean arms.

"It's almost nine. Did you sleep down here?" she repeated.

"No, I came down here when I woke up late last night and couldn't get back to sleep. Just thinking." Harry rubbed his eyes and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Okay. What were you thinking about?" He had a determined look in his eyes that puzzled her.

"I was thinking that you have given me so much, that it is time for me to give something to you."

Hermione's mind went into overdrive to figure out what he was talking about. Surely he didn't mean some kind of physical gift, that much was apparent. That could only mean it had something to do with today and her parents, but what could that possibly have to do with anything?

"Harry I don't understand. You're helping me get my parents back, that's wonderful of you, but I already knew that so what are you talking about?"

Harry had a borderline mischievous look in his eyes. He was certainly up to something and it certainly had to do with her parents. She was growing more frustrated the more she thought about it. It didn't seem fair that he would put any more stress on her by keeping her in the dark about his plans.

"Harry, please tell me what you're planning. I really can't take anymore worry in my life right now." It felt satisfying to see his reaction to the edge in her voice. She was in no mood for games.

"Hermione, I'm just trying to do right by you." Harry looked apologetically at her but didn't offer anything else.

"Harry James Potter, you tell me this instant what you are planning!"

She could tell by the look on his face that he regretted bringing this whole thing up to her, but seeing the fire in her eyes she saw him relent.

"I'm going to tell your parents the truth: that this entire situation is my fault."

Hermione felt her brain go numb for a split second before it was quickly replaced by white hot anger.

"And why would you do something stupid like that?" She asked coldly.

"Because it's true. There were other ways that we could have protected them, protected _you_ , but I was selfish and wanted you with me. I didn't stop you from doing this when I should have. I let you gamble your whole life just so you would be with me and Ron." Harry had his patented guilt on full display, but if anything it made her even angrier.

"Harry stop trying to feel guilty about every little thing!" her voice was getting higher and louder by the second, but she couldn't care less that they were in public. She needed him to know how mad she was.

"This was _my_ decision! I'm not some boy crazed teenager who did something stupid just for your sake! I made a hard decision because I knew it was for the best. It kept them safe and allowed me to fight. I wanted to fight! Dumbledore trusted me as much as he trusted you to do what had to be done! Don't you think there was as much at stake for me as there was for you?! Don't you dare try and take responsibility for my actions! What good do you think that would do? Then my parents wouldn't want me to see you again and then what am I supposed to do? It would be a disaster!"

Harry looked dumbstruck. His mouth just hung open stupidly.

"Let's just get one thing straight Harry: I am not some helpless lass for you to save! I know you, I know you want to save everyone, but Harry you can't do this."

Hermione felt her rage leaving her to be replaced with a knot in her chest. She always found it hard to stay mad at Harry.

"I'm already very grateful for you coming with me and helping me, for slipping me the potion to help me sleep. I know you want to help, I know you have good intentions, but you can't just take responsibility for things you didn't do."

There was a ringing silence between the two. Harry's face was screwed up in thought. Hermione closed the gap between the two of them, taking his hands in hers. She met his eyes with hers, his emerald orbs full of hurt. He shifted his gaze down to the floor.

"I just….I'm supposed to protect you Hermione."

By Harry's standards, this was being quite effusive about his feelings. He had never been one to talk about how he felt. She felt privileged that he let her even a little ways past his barriers. She knew he felt like a failure, it was the same look he had worn when she saw him in the hospital wing after the Department of Mysteries.

"Harry, you haven't failed me. You've always protected me." She took his chin into one of her hands and forced him to look into her eyes again. "But you can't save me from everything. The best you're going to do I'm afraid is be there for whatever happens next. I know you will be."

Hermione gave him her most reassuring smile as they parted. She knew he could understand that she trusted him completely, that he hadn't betrayed her with his inability to protect her from the consequences of her actions. He always seemed to know these things.

He answered her with a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Something behind her then caught his eye. Hermione turned around to see Ron walking towards them, smiling cheerfully.

"Get a good night's rest Hermione?" Ron gave a huge wink to Harry who chuckled behind her.

"I did Ron. Thanks for asking, I have no idea of course how I fell asleep considering the right state I was in, but I'm grateful none the less." Ron started laughing and she turned to give Harry a wink of her own. It was fun, not to mention distracting, to be playing this little game with Ron.

"I guess the world will never know." Ron gave them both a huge grin. "You two had breakfast yet?"

"No, have anything special in mind?" Harry grinned back.

"I saw this café I wouldn't mind trying yesterday….Oh! I nearly forgot, mum sent each of us a letter! Hermes showed up right when I woke up." Ron handed Harry and Hermione both sealed letters addressed from .

Not really thinking about what the topic of the letter could be, Hermione opened hers and quickly read through it. By the time she began to read it a second time, she could feel tears building behind her eyes.

 _Dearest Hermione,_

 _First of all, I hope that this letter has found you before you found your parents. I wanted to encourage you that, speaking as a mother, the largest emotion I'm sure your parents will be experiencing upon seeing you again will be relief that you are safe and sound. I can safely speak on your parents behalf: your parents love you more than they love anything else in the world. They may be upset, they may even be angry about what you have done, but you did what you thought was right. Any grudge they may wish to hold will be outweighed by the knowledge that the awful war is over and they now have a lifetime to safely spend with their only daughter._

 _I also wanted to express to you that as long as me and Arthur are under this roof, this house will_ always _be a home for you. You are as welcome here as any daughter or son of mine. I know that you and Ronald find your problems irreconcilable (Charlie passed along to me what happened), but listen Hermione: I of all people know the faults of my children. I can't begrudge you doing what is best for you. I am disappointed for sure, he is my son, but_ _you_ _are my daughter, regardless of your future with Ron. Know that nothing that happens between you two will ever make me or Arthur feel any differently. We love you Hermione._

 _Speaking of Ron, please look after him and Harry. I know you wouldn't let anything happen to my boys, to_ _your_ _boys. I worry about them so much. I worry about you so much. I know you will all make it home safe. Do send word when you will be headed back. We will want to welcome you home properly! Send a return note to let me know you lot are alright._

 _All my love,_

 _Molly_

Molly's words sent warm waves radiating through her whole body. Despite what had happened with Ron, the Burrow would still welcome her home. If Molly could put aside her breaking Ron's heart, maybe her parents could put aside what she had done to them. If not she still had family, a _home_ , to belong to. It made her heart melt and strengthened her resolve.

"Are you alright?" Ron was the one who asked but both boys were looking concernedly at her.

"I am actually." She looked from Ron to Harry. It wasn't just Molly or the Burrow that would love her no matter what. Feeling better than she had in a solid week, she accompanied them to find Ron's café.

It turned out to be a small hole in the wall a couple blocks from their hotel. "These places tend to have excellent food. If you don't mind 'em being a bit shabby." Ron cheerfully noted as they walked in.

Shabby described it to a tee. The sign looked like it was from another decade, the paint was peeling from the walls, and the entire place seemed to have an air of neglect about it. However, as was often the case when it came to food, Ron was correct. It was some of the best breakfast food Hermione had ever had.

"This was an excellent idea Ron." She shot him a smile. His eyes seemed to gleam in triumph as Harry enthusiastically nodded his support. His mouth was too full to verbally assent.

Hermione thought to herself that Ron was particularly handsome when he had the airy confidence on his face as he did now. It was a shame that his insecurities kept him from feeling that way more often. Maybe it was best for him that he found someone other than her after all; Hermione had always felt like she was a major source of his insecurity instead of a bulwark against it.

Molly's letter had her feeling better about Ron than she had in weeks. It brought her a sense of closure to know that the Weasley family knew of their breakup and hadn't decided to shun her. Her greatest fear had been that both the Weasley's and her own family would abandon her with all that she had done. That would leave Harry; until he married Ginny and then Hermione would be truly alone. Molly had laid that fear to rest and she felt like a massive weight had been taken off of her shoulders.

This newfound relief could only do so much to alleviate the tension in her gut about her parents. As they spent the day moving restlessly around the neighborhood Hermione found herself nervously checking the time every few minutes or pacing the sidewalk whenever they came to a stop. She noticed that both Ron and Harry were nervous too and where not as interested in the shops they perused as they pretended to be.

Finally six o'clock came and they knew the Wilkins' practice had closed and they were most likely home. It was time.

They all boarded a bus and took a seat together on the back row, Ron and Harry on either side of her. They both held one of her hands and spoke the occasional word of moral support. Hermione kept running Molly's words through her mind to calm her nerves.

They reached their stop at six-thirty. A short walk brought them to the condominium and to the Wilkins' front door. Ron and Harry checked that the coast was clear while Hermione donned the Invisibility Cloak. They each gave her a thumbs up and a reassuring smile before knocking on the door.


	17. Chapter 17

"Oh please do come in!" Mrs. Wilkins chimed. "Dan will be right out. Dan! We have guests!"

Emma Wilkins guided them to a sofa in their small sitting room and offered them tea, Dan Wilkins appeared moments later out of the bedroom to shake their hands.

"To what do we owe the pleasure gentlemen?" Dan inquired politely.

"We're from the realtor's office." Harry answered, "We are here to ask you a few questions about your lovely home here. We aim to ensure our customers are one hundred percent satisfied with their purchase."

Dan looked puzzled for the briefest of moments before a smile leapt across his face.

"Well then! It is a bit odd, but it's nice to work with someone who genuinely cares! Emma join us please."

Emma and Dan took a seat in the loveseat opposite Harry and Ron. Now it was a simple matter of giving Hermione the time she needed.

"Alright then, has there been any major problem since you bought the condo?" Ron asked, pretending to be writing on a clipboard.

"No sir, not the slightest. We haven't even replaced a bulb since we got here!" Dan gave a hearty chuckle. Harry spared a glance to the empty space behind the couple.

She couldn't do it. They looked so happy. They didn't miss her at all. Well, of course they didn't, they didn't remember her after all; but it crushed Hermione to see them so well adjusted and happy in their life. She couldn't just take it away from them, plunging them into a world where their daughter broke her biggest promise to them.

She held her wand in a shaking hand behind the couple's heads, willing herself to say the incantation.

All she could do was whimper silently.

They had been sitting there for almost twenty minutes now. Harry was beginning to panic. Ron was clearly running out of questions to ask the Wilkins. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, but Harry was worried that they were soon to be dismissed. Then what would they do?

What could possibly be holding up Hermione? He looked again at the space behind Dan and Emma. Willing himself to somehow make eye contact with a person he couldn't see. He pictured her standing there, biting her bottom lip, unsure what to do.

Then it hit him: maybe she wasn't sure she wanted to do this. After all, her parents were quite oblivious to the life they had left behind. They were very happy and content. It seemed cruel to lift the veil on their eyes and expose the truth, but Harry knew that Hermione had to do this. She would spend her whole life regretting it if she left them here.

Hermione was just about to lower her wand and walk out of the condo when she looked up at Harry's face. He was no longer looking at her parents, he was looking straight at her. How he had managed to make eye contact with her when she was invisible was a riddle for another time, because the look her was giving her rooted her to the spot.

She had had these sorts of silent conversations with Harry before where each seemed to telepathically speak into the others consciousness. She could hear Harry's voice speak calmly in her mind: " _You have to do this Hermione. They need to know the truth. You need them to know the truth."_

Her eyes began to water. Her wand hand shook more violently than ever. Harry's eyes looked softly into hers. " _It's okay. We'll be right here with you. You can do this."_

Forcing her hand to steady itself, she looked at the back of her parent's heads, focusing on the incantation with all her might.

Harry knew he had gotten through to her the moment that Dan and Emma stopped mid-sentence and a milky glaze came over their eyes. Their expressions took on a blank look and they lolled slightly from left to right.

Ron looked relieved, he had been stretching the conversation as long as he could but Harry knew he had been close to running out of ideas. The moments seemed to pass on for an eternity before the Wilkins' (now Grangers again Harry corrected himself) eyes took on their natural color again.

They both looked like they had been bludgered over the head. Dan was frowning and had a hand on his temple while Emma was frantically searching the room with her eyes. They were both obviously very confused as to their surroundings.

"Mr. and Mrs. Granger?" It was Ron who spoke; they were more likely to remember him than Harry.

Dan and Emma both jumped a little and looked at Ron with shocked expressions as though he had simply materialized out of thin air.

"I know this is all a little confusing, please just relax." Ron was doing his best to sound reassuring. Emma still looked quite panicked until Dan took her hands in his own. Sparing a glance at Harry, he turned to Ron with a puzzled expression.

"Ronald right? Where are we? Where's Hermione?" Harry looked over his shoulder. Hermione had chosen not to appear just yet. It would probably do more harm than good at the moment. Harry steeled himself to explain.

"Mr. Granger, we've met in passing before. I'm Harry Potter, do you remember?" Harry tried his best not to sound condescending. When Dan nodded Harry continued, "You're in Sidney, Australia. Almost a year ago, Hermione…." Harry paused to take a deep breath, "Hermione modified your memories and sent you here to keep you safe. We were in open war with Lord Voldemort and it was too risky for you to remain in England. Hermione felt like you would never leave on your own or let her take part in the war, so she sent you here."

Dan and Emma both gasped. Emma was already in tears and Dan looked stunned.

"Where….where is she?" Dan looked at Harry pleadingly.

"W-Where's Hermione? Where's my daughter?" Emma was becoming frantic, looking wildly from Ron to Harry.

"She'll be here in a minute, she is safe. I promise." Harry sent a look to both Ron and Hermione communicating that they were to hold tight, he had something he wanted to say.

"Mr. and Mrs. Granger, I want to tell you that Hermione did what she did because she loved you. She couldn't bear the thought of Voldemort or his supporters getting to you. We're here now because the war is over. Voldemort is gone and his supporters are either dead or on the run. We never could have done it without Hermione; she is truly the brightest witch of her age. I hope you can remember that when you see her."

Harry stood up with Ron following suit. Emma had dissolved into tears and Dan was holding his wife, a deep furrow in his brow. It reminded Harry forcefully of the look Hermione got when she was deep in thought.

"When can we see her?" Dan asked.

"Me and Ron are going to step out." At that moment Hermione took off the cloak behind her parents. "If you will turn around, you will find Hermione just as we promised." Harry gave her one last reassuring smile before turning to walk out the door.

"Hermione!" Dan and Emma gasped together. Harry heard them both jump to their feet and rush to wrap their arms around their daughter. Emma Granger was sobbing uncontrollably and Hermione couldn't stop saying "I'm so sorry!"

Ron clapped Harry on the back and they both stepped out to give the family some privacy.

Ron and Harry had decided to find some dinner to give Hermione some time with her family. They were so wrapped up in each other that they hardly realized they were gone.

Ron was extremely happy that it all seemed well with the Grangers. It felt good to see another family restored, even if it reminded him painfully of the gaping hole in his own family. It had been hard to push Fred out of his mind these past few weeks, and it simply wouldn't leave him alone after he had read his last letter from home.

 _Dear Ronald,_

 _I hope that you are safe and enjoying your time away. Heaven knows that you deserve it. What you children went through is simply mind numbing for me to comprehend. Oh Ron, how I wish that I could make these horrors disappear as easily as I did when you were small and your troubles even smaller. It pains me to know that I can't simply vanish away the scars on your heart._

 _I'm so sorry things didn't work out with Hermione. I know how deeply you love her. I know it must hurt and on top of everything else I can't imagine how you deal with it. You've always been so much stronger than you realize._

 _Please son, do not be too hard on Hermione. I know she still means a lot to you. I know how she's the best friend you have besides Harry. Please don't throw it all away because of this. It may never be as it once was, it can't, but it doesn't mean you have to lose her completely. She's a part of you, and it's up to you whether or not it becomes a cancer or a cure._

 _I know you've been thinking of Fred. We all have dear. I don't think there will come a day when I don't think about him. George's voice sounds so…small without Fred there to finish his sentences. Your brother is struggling Ronald. We're all struggling, even if we don't want to admit it. Bill and Charlie left to escape into their own worlds. Percy can't even focus on his work. Your father and George both look like someone shut off the light in their eyes. It's almost as if no one is home behind their dull, vacant expressions. I've never seen them so broken. Ginny felt so suffocated she left for the Lovegood's weeks ago. I haven't gone a day without breaking down crying. I know you needed to get away, that's how you've always handled things, that's what makes what I am about to say that much harder._

 _We need you Ronald. We need you to come home. I know you're helping Hermione with her family. It's so very sweet of you, especially under present circumstances with her, but the second she finds them…..please….please come home. I can't do this alone. Your father, George, Percy….it's more than I can handle. Someone has to hold us together and Ronald, I don't think I'm up to the task by myself. Your wit, you're optimism (sarcastic as it may be), your love….these are things this family needs now more than ever._

 _I know you plan on going back to Hogwarts, I know it won't be long, but please give us all the time you have. It will mean more to me than anything._

 _Pass on my letters and my love to Harry and Hermione. Make sure they're safe before you leave them. Have them come to the Burrow before school._

 _Hope to see you soon_

 _All my love,_

 _Mum_

As badly as he was dreading it, as much as he wanted this escape to last forever, he knew what he had to do.

He and Harry had sat down in the corner booth of a small, out of the way pub when he decided to break the news.

"Harry, I need to leave." He looked pleadingly at his friend, hoping he would understand. Harry looked crestfallen, but nodded solemnly.

"I understand. Your family needs you Ron." Ron thought his wording eerily similar to his mothers'. It must have shown on his face. "Molly wrote me too mate, remember? I really do understand. You need to go. Hermione will understand too. Are you going to tell her goodbye?"

There was a genuinely concerned look in Harry's eyes that had nothing to do with the Burrow.

"Yeah, I'll pack tonight and see you both off tomorrow morning. I hate to bug out, but I just have to go. How long will you stay here? We need you too you know."

"I'll stay until the Grangers figure out their plans. I want to know Hermione's affairs are in order before I leave."

They both gazed in silence at the drinks in front of them.

"It's really starting to feel over isn't it?" Harry didn't even look up when he asked.

"Yeah. Now that her life is in order, the funerals are over, and we're going back home…..it finally feels like it's over and done. It's a new world now."

Ron watched the liquid in his glass move as he tilted it back and forth. Nothing about this his life felt familiar anymore. Everything had something attached to it. A memory. Most of them reminded of people he'd never see again, or a feeling he'd never get back.

The Burrow used to feel so safe, so secluded from the cares of the real world. It used to be the one place where Ron felt like he could just be a kid: carefree and oblivious to the maelstrom surrounding it. Now the real world had permanently shattered the protective charm of its walls. An empty chair at the table would be a constant reminder of just how fragile it had always been.

He had always thought the war would be the hard part, but it was now dawning on him that it would take more courage now to face the peace. The end of war didn't bring back its dead. Without an enemy to focus on, picking up the pieces of a shattered life took its toll.

He thought of his father. Of two brothers who couldn't even live their life's ambitions. Of his mother crying every night. Of two brothers and a sister who simply ran from their grief.

Not him. He wouldn't run anymore. He had done what he needed to do for himself; it was time to do what his family needed him to do. He would be strong for them. He'd pull them together if it took everything he had.


	18. Chapter 18

After all the crying had stopped, Hermione found herself in a heavy silence with her parents. The weight of what had truly happened seemed to be sinking in.

"Why?" Dan finally blurts out. "Of all the things you could have done….why this?"

She flinches at the hurt in his voice. She knows she's upset them both. She can see in both of their demeanors the disappointment.

"I…I thought it was the best thing….for everyone." She takes a deep steadying breath, "You don't know what it was like, everyone was scared. Muggleborn families were being tracked by the Ministry, to allow them to track you would have been a death sentence because of my relationship to Harry….to hide from the Ministry in the U.K. would have been no better. I had to get you out of the country, I couldn't do what I had to do without knowing that you were safe."

Hermione felt the tears start to prick at the back of her eyes again, but they faded as she filled with conviction. She had done what was best; her parents would have to understand.

"I knew you wouldn't go, that you wouldn't let _me_ go."

"Sweetie, how could they have needed a seventeen year old to fight a war?" her mum was trying, Hermione gave her that.

"Because, Harry was the only one who could defeat Voldemort, and he needed Ron and me to do it." She registered how strange it was that her parents didn't flinch at the name.

When her parents took matching incredulous looks, she launched into explaining the truth of what had happened the past two and a half years. The Prophecy, the Death Eater attack at Hogwarts, the revelation of the Horcruxes, Dumbledore's death, the Hallows, and the final battle. Her dad took it in quietly while her mum covered her mouth and sobbed at the particularly bad parts.

When she finished it was again followed by a heavy silence.

"So…that's the truth of it. I had to be there. If I hadn't gone, we would have never finished Voldemort, Harry would be dead and…"

She abruptly stopped. The memory of Harry in Hagrid's arms swam into her mind. It was still too close and too real to her. She had to take a couple of deep breaths to steady herself.

 _He didn't die. You were just with him._

She sometimes had to remind herself of that truth. That Harry was indeed alive. She had caught herself numerous times over the past couple of months going to his room in the middle of the night just to ensure he really and truly was there.

"Hermione..?" Emma brought her attention back to the real world.

"I'm sorry that I've hurt you. I'm sorry that I couldn't find another way," she steeled herself to say the truth, "but I'm not sorry for what I did. I did what I thought was right and given the chance, I would do it again."

It took a moment for her words to really sink into her parents. Emma grasped it first, a knowing look entering her eyes before she joined Hermione in gazing at Dan. She could see the wheels turning in his mind; she knew he was examining all this information every which way. She was so like him in that regard. Finally, he slumped his shoulders and nodded his head.

"I hate to say it, but I can completely understand where you're coming from." Hermione loosed a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "But that doesn't mean I like it. You promised us Hermione."

Her mind flashed back to the day before her first day at Hogwarts. She had stood in the living room with her parents and promised them that she would never use her magic on them. That she would never betray their trust by hoodwinking them with something they couldn't hope to defend themselves against.

She had gone over that promise a thousand times back during that summer, before she broke it once and for all. It had nearly torn her in two to betray them, but she had done the best with the time and resources she had. It hadn't been an easy choice, but she would do it a hundred times over to see them safe.

"I know, you're entitled to be angry. You deserve to be hurt and I don't deserve any sympathy or forgiveness from you." Emma yelped. "It's true mum. I don't, but I want you to know that it's all worth it to me now that I can see you now: safe and whole. The war is over and here you are. That makes it worth it a million times over to me."

Having said all she was planning on saying, Hermione took a seat on the couch and faced her parents. Dan and Emma didn't say anything to one another, but she knew that her parents didn't always need words to communicate. She knew that they were silently coming to an agreement over how they were going to handle this.

They finally broke their gaze at each other and looked at her. Emma's eyes were watery and Dan's were glazed over with anxiety, but there was softness in their demeanors that lifted Hermione's spirits.

"We…we know you did what you thought was best." Emma started, "And it may take us some time to work past how hurt and confused we are."

Dan finished for her, "But we forgive you Hermione. You're our only daughter. You're all that we have and cherish in this world. Everything else pales in comparison to the fact that you're safe and sound."

Hermione's felt her heart catch in her throat and she stood and took her parents in her arms. They both wrapped their arms around her as a fresh batch of tears spilled from everyone's eyes. There would be more decisions to make and more discussions to be had, but they were all here. They had their whole lives ahead of them to figure out the details.

That was enough for her.

Ron scanned the beach for the Grangers. A waving hand soon directed him to a collection of chairs in a more secluded part of the waterfront.

"Why do you have your bag Ron?" Hermione looked worried.

"I need to go Hermione." He smiled to let her know that everything was okay. She looked from him to Harry, as if to ask if it was somehow her fault. Harry shook his head.

"Don't worry Hermione; you know he wouldn't go without a good reason. He can explain it to you."

Harry gave Ron a firm embrace before leaving to join Mr. and Mrs. Granger at the beach front bar, leaving Ron and Hermione alone.

"How are your parents?" Ron twiddled his fingers together, not sure what else to say.

"They're adjusting. We ran the gamut of reactions last night: surprise, relief anger, sadness…..it took a lot of explaining, but I think we'll be okay. Things will just be…strained for awhile." Hermione was biting her bottom lip and wringing her hands together.

"Ron, what's going to happen to us?" So that was bothering her too. She always was straightforward.

"I…I don't know." Hermione looked downcast. "I wish I had something better to say, but I don't." Ron sincerely wished he had been gifted to be as comforting as his mother could be.

There was a hurt look in Hermione's eyes and worry etched across her brow. "Ron, we'll still be friends….right?"

Ron knew that his future with Hermione hinged on his next words. He could either start building a bridge or burning one.

"Hermione, nothing will ever change that." he gave her a small smile, "We've been through too much to call it quits now."

He thought she would be relieved, but instead she looked, if possible, even more disappointed. Just when he thought the mystery of women would forever elude him, a thought occurred to him.

"You know that I care about you right?"

"It's always nice to hear it." Her voice was quivering. He knew she was close to tears.

"I do Hermione. Regardless if you're my girlfriend or my best friend, I love you."

There was a long moment between them, simply looking into each other's eyes. Ron could see the wheels turning in her mind. She could probably see the worry on his face. He didn't want to mess this up.

"I love you too Ron. You're my best friend." Her smile reached up and touched her eyes. In that instant he knew everything was going to be alright. He couldn't help himself but laugh.

"I thought Harry had that honor?" He threw her a mischievous grin. Hermione briefly looked scandalized before catching onto him. Yes, they'd be just fine.

"Thank you Ron, for everything."

"Of course Hermione. Now that you're family is taken care of, it's time I returned to mine." The smile vanished from his face. The image of Fred's face crept across his mind.

Hermione took a step closer and gave him a signature Hermione hug. "You'll help them Ron. You're much stronger than you think."

Ron laughed. "My mother said that too."

Hermione laughed into his chest. "Mum knows best."

He could have stayed this way for hours and been content, but just when he thought it she let go. Another tense silence fell between them. He wondered if it would always be this way between them now, the ghost of what used to be hanging between them.

Her brown eyes stared back into his. His chest felt constricted as numerous feelings fought for control. He wanted to kiss her and he wanted to run away all at once. A mixture of pain and love filled his heart.

It was Hermione who broke the spell. She lifted her hand and gave him a small wave with her fingers.

"Goodbye Ron." Her voice sounded small and distant. She smiled, but this time it didn't reach her eyes.

Ron smiled weakly back, one last time fighting the urge to kiss her. "Goodbye Hermione."

He turned on the spot and was gone.

The weight that had been constricting her windpipe settled into her chest. She felt movement and a presence behind her. She knew who it was without turning around.

"Will it always be this way Harry?"

Harry stepped in front of her, his emerald eyes meeting her brown ones.

"No." and he gave her a genuine smile.

It wasn't elegant, but it did the trick. Hermione felt her own smile slide across her face. She would have to tell him sometime how much progress he's making in the "comforting an upset girl" department.

Ron walked up the steps of his childhood home with purpose. He had no illusions of why he was here, of what had brought him back.

The surroundings felt like they were a part of him. The small, overgrown garden, the cobblestone steps, the chimneys and windows; they all felt so familiar and small warmth fluttered in his chest. It wasn't much, but it was home.

Yet, even before he reached the door there was something, the feeling of a missing piece. Like it would forever be an incomplete puzzle or a nearly finished painting. Amid the familiar was the sickening feeling of loss.

But Ron stood for a moment and took it all in. It was still home. Nothing would ever take that away from him. To let that feeling slip away would be letting Voldemort win. Fred would turn in his grave knowing that his boisterous and happy family would never be so again. They _would_ be so again and Ron would make sure and see to it.

He didn't bother knocking, walking straight into the small kitchen. His mother was watching several pots and pans clean themselves. His father, his stomach lurched, was staring blankly at a Daily Prophet from last week.

"Mum? Dad?"

Molly jerked around and flung herself at her son, crushing him in her arms. He thought he heard the muffled sound of sobbing coming from his shoulder. The smells of the kitchen bombarded him: soap, bread, musty wood, and grease. Seemingly every memory of this kitchen went flying through his brain.

That time that Fred and George transfigured the bread into spiders when Ron was slicing it, the time they tricked Ginny into the cupboard and locked her in, all those times that washing the dishes had turned into soap fights.

When Ron finally broke away from his mother, Arthur was still looking blankly at his paper.

"Dad? I'm home." Arthur finally looked up and, to Ron's relief, a small twinkle of recognition flared in his eyes before quickly ebbing away.

"Ron?" He spoke so softly it was barely audible. Ron walked over and embraced his father who, to his surprise, broke down in his arms. His father had never been the demonstrative type. He had always been the cool one in the family. Ron had always reckoned that was where Bill got it from.

Molly soon joined them in an awkward group embrace. They might have stayed that way for minutes, hours, or years. Ron would never know and never care. He had never been more grateful for his parents in his whole life. He could sit here for the rest of his life in their arms and it wouldn't be a wasted life.

Here, when all the war's business was finally over, they were: broken, but still together.

It wasn't much, but it was home.


	19. Chapter 19

Harry had wanted to give Hermione time alone with her family, but it seemed as if she didn't want a moment to go by without him. After three days he finally moved the remainder of their stuff over to the Granger's condo and simply stayed there. He had only been sleeping at the hotel anyways.

They didn't venture very far. The Grangers had taken a few days of holiday and they spent most of the time doing simple things like walks on the beach or evenings out to dinner. It felt somewhat strange for Harry to be treated so nicely in the muggle world, he was used to the neglect and rude stares of Little Whinging.

He thought that the Grangers on the whole were taking this whole thing very well considering, it was by far better than he had dared hope. They were upset for sure; and they and Hermione both were being extra polite with one another, but it seemed like they were more grateful than anything to hear of the war's end and to have their daughter back.

Dan and Emma were very kind to Harry. It was sometimes hard to hold conversation, since Harry's exposure to the muggle world was small for having been raised one, but he could tell they were doing their best to make him feel welcome. The more he got to know them, the more he liked them.

Dan was an avid football fan so he taught Harry the basics of the game. While Harry knew he would always prefer Quidditch, it wasn't too bad and it was nice to have some male company. He missed Ron.

Every evening he and Hermione would go for a walk by themselves. Hermione would talk about her upbringing and tell stories about her parents while Harry would primarily listen.

It was while on one of these walks that Harry finally brought up the topic he knew everyone had been avoiding.

"Hermione, what happens now?"

They stopped walking and sat on a park bench. The beach was largely empty except for a small family with a son and daughter building a sand castle in the dimming evening light.

Hermione let out a long sigh.

"Harry, I'm not sure. My parents are very torn; they really have grown to love it here. Maybe it is just a symptom of the memory charm, but they feel like they've lived two lives and right now this seems the more real of the two to them."

He could see the anxiety written on her face, the uncertainty of her decision and the effects it was having on her life. Harry held her gaze, reaching out to stroke her hand.

"What about you?"

"I…I don't know." She was biting her bottom lip and she was shuffling her feet: Classic Hermione symptoms of having more to say and not sure how to say it.

"Hermione, you can tell me the truth." Her eyes seemed to take on a weary sheen.

"I just…I know that I ought to spend time with them. Give back some of what I took away by staying with them, even if it's here. But….that would also mean leaving you and Ron behind and that's...that would be very hard."

Hermione's eyes were pleading with him. He knew she wanted him to talk her into going back with him to England. She wanted him to tell her that he needed her and that would give her the excuse she needed to leave. It pained him to purposely let her down.

"Hermione, this is your decision. It's your life. It's time that you made a decision for yourself instead of wondering what would happen with other people."

He raised his hand to stop whatever retort she had opened her mouth to give, "No, I mean it. Don't think about what it would mean for me and Ron. We both care about you and want what is best for you. You make that decision and we'll both stand by you one hundred percent."

He could see the warring emotions in her eyes. The affection, the guilt, the worry, and the pain.

"What if they want to stay?"

Harry took her hands into his and looked hard into her face.

"Then you'll have to make a choice. I'm not telling you one way or the other."

He had a preference, of course, he didn't like the idea of returning to England without her the slightest bit. However, it was time to pay her back for all the sacrifices she had made to fight with him. It was time that she started living her life for herself. He was determined to give her that at the very least.

They simply looked at each other for a long time, bright green into chocolate brown. They didn't need words. She knew that he giving back to her for seven years of devotion and he knew that she was grateful to have him put her life back into her hands.

* * *

Hermione loved sitting in between her parents on the couch. It made her feel like she was a little girl again, before life had handed her seven years of school, adventure and death. Harry had opted to stay out by the beach a little longer. She knew he was trying to stay out of the way of the conversation she knew she had to have. She hated to spoil the moment, but better to have it now than put it off.

"Mum, dad, can we talk about…what's next?" she felt a lead weight enter her navel region. Her parents looked anxiously at one another.

"Well…" Emma began before looking to her husband. Hermione recognized the look, her mum still had misgivings.

"We were thinking about…about staying here." Dan finished, a look of determination entering his features. Hermione felt her stomach hit the floor. "England, sweetheart, it feels like another life now and we truly love it here. Besides, we're just getting our finances straight after the last move."

"So, you're just never going to come back?" Hermione blurted out.

"Honey, we may go back….eventually." Emma tried to soothe her, but shot another anxious look at her husband. Dan's brow furrowed and Hermione knew her parents were having a silent conversation. It was time to apply the pressure.

"Well I'm not staying here. I have to finish school." Her parents well knew she only had a year left. If nothing else, it would at least buy her some time. It was the best card she had in hand.

"We know how much it means to you to finish school and we want you to finish." Dan took a deep breath, "but we also want our daughter. We feel like you've been slipping away from us and we don't want to lose you. We may not be a part of _your_ world, but you're still our daughter."

She had been afraid of this. She hadn't felt this trapped between the wizarding world and her parents since she first received her Hogwarts invitation.

"Sweetheart, there are plenty of good schools for you to enter once you finish there. You could go right here in Sydney and live with us again." Emma's eyes were pleading with her.

"But, this isn't where I belong." Hermione began, "I belong at Hogwarts, I belong in the wizard world, I belong.."

"You belong with him." Emma finished for her. Her mouth hung open, she had actually meant to say "with her friends", but her mother seemed to think otherwise.

"What do you mean? I belong with my friends."

"Hermione, we know this is about that boy, just be honest with us." Dan entreated.

"Me and Ron aren't even together anymore!" she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She sincerely hoped they were talking about Ron. She had always been honest with her parents about her love life, but her worst suspicions were confirmed by the look on her mother's face.

"We're not talking about Ron. We're talking about Harry." Emma's voice had that quality of explaining something to a small child.

"Harry? What does he have to do with this?" the room seemed a lot warmer all the sudden.

"We've been watching you the past few days. We see the way you look at him. We remember everything you told us about what you went through with him. We're grateful that he looked after you and kept you safe. We knew asking you to part with him was going to be hard. But we're your parents, your _family_. We're not forcing you to stay with us. We're asking you to."

Daniel Granger's face was set as firm as his words, but Emma looked torn. Hermione knew she agreed with her husband, but clearly she knew what they were really asking of her. Asking her to stay was asking her to choose them over the world and the people who had grown to be her life for seven years.

"We'll give you some time to think it over." Emma pulled her husband away with a final knowing look to her daughter, leaving her alone to the torment of her thoughts.

She hadn't foreseen the possibility of this particular consequence. She knew her parents were bound to be upset over sending them here. She knew that she had betrayed their trust by using magic on them. She had expected that they might want to stay, but she had thought if they were that upset that they wouldn't have wanted her with them.

The more she thought about it, the more sense it made: she had chosen magic over them in sending them here. Now they wanted her to choose again and they expected her to choose them this time.

"It's not fair." She voiced out loud. But then again, what she had done had not been very fair either. In fact, very few things in her life had seemed very fair up to this point. That was simply a fact of life.

She thought of Hogwarts, of Ron and the Burrow, of the friends who had become as good as her extended family in all the time she had known them. She thought of the future she had planned out of helping rebuild Hogwarts, finishing her N.E.W.T.s and entering the Ministry to make this new world a better one. It all seemed to be on the edge of her fingertips, the slightest slip in her grip and it would be gone.

She was sure that she could be a part of the magical world here. There had to be wizards and witches here. She could get a fresh start, maybe that more than anything is what she really needed. Maybe her parents were right; maybe it was time for her to choose her own flesh and blood.

Then she thought about the one person she had consciously been trying _not_ to think about: Harry. She tried to picture a life where he was alive and not beside her. It filled her with a sense of emptiness and loss. But it was there. She had never even been able to picture it before.

But who would help him rebuild their world? Who would comfort him from his nightmares? Who would notice that something was wrong when he was doing his best to hide it? Who else had been there for it all and could understand what he had gone through.

 _He has Ginny for that now._

A reasonable voice in her mind told her. The logical part of her brain told her that Harry would be just fine without her. That he had enough of a support structure to not need her to survive. He had even told her to make her own decision. He clearly did not want to be a part of the equation. So why was she letting him enter it anyways?

The logical part of her brain only had one real answer for her. If this wasn't about Harry needing her, then this was about her needing Harry.

Her parents had no idea what she had been through. Even now that she had sat them down and told them the whole story, the disconnect between them and the magical world would always mean they wouldn't be able to empathize like parents normally could. The fact that they hadn't been present for any of it, of her own doing no less, kept them from understanding. They would never be able to understand.

When it came down to it, it wasn't just that she would be leaving behind a lot of people who understood: the Weasleys, Luna, Neville, or any of the remaining Order. It was that she would be leaving the only person who understood completely.

But could she keep living in this dependent relationship with Harry? Surely once he started going with Ginny he wouldn't be around as much to help her anyways. Then what would she do?

It seemed like she was doomed to lose Harry anyways. If that was the case, wouldn't she be better off just staying here and making a clean break of it?

She thought of all the times she could have left him behind. There had been plenty of opportunities. He had never asked her to go anywhere with him, in fact, he usually tried to convince her not to. What if, just once, she allowed him to talk her into it? What if she simply walked away and tried for a normal life?

Then she remembered catching herself looking at Harry as her ears took in the words "bonded for life". Her mind might have told her one thing, but her heart knew that her choice had already been made. She had chosen him.

The fact of the matter was she needed him. It wasn't just a romantic notion; it was simply a fact of life. She needed Harry Potter and come hell or high water she was going to be by his side.

She didn't even try to deny anymore that there _was_ a romantic part of the equation. She had been secretly dreading it for weeks, months, maybe even years now, but she knew now that she harbored feelings for him in her heart. Feelings that she had never meant to feel for him, but there was no stopping it now. She would simply have to deal with it.

All of this left her with only one realistic option. She knew that he had given her this decision to make on her own. He would just have to realize that she _was_ making her own decision. She just wasn't going to make it without him.

Filled with new resolution, she marched out the door into the night.


	20. Chapter 20

Harry was cold, but it didn't make him budge. It was quiet here by the sea. Only the sound of the whistling wind and the crashing waves to soothe his mind. He wanted the Grangers to have all the time it took to figure out their future.

He was anxious that Hermione would choose to stay here, but his determination to give her the freedom to live her life overrode any doubts he might have had. She deserved this. His mind went over the words to the letter folded in his pocket.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _I hope to goodness that you are enjoying yourself sweetheart. No one on earth should have to experience the life you have lived for so long. Ever since I first laid eyes on you at King's Cross I have wanted nothing less than to make your life as care free as I could. It brought me boundless joy to see your friendship with Ron, Hermione, and my other children. I was more than happy to think of you as being as much my son as any of my own. I shudder to think of letting Lily Potter down looking after her son. Especially now that…..now that she can look after one of mine._

 _I know that the scar on your forehead isn't the only one you have now. This awful war has left many more on your heart. Sweetheart, there's nothing I can do or say to make the feelings go away, but what I can say is this: let your friends in. Ron and Hermione both care for you like they care for no one else on earth. If you haven't figured out now that you can trust them with your very life then I have failed you as a mother. No one can go through these things alone dear and you don't have to. Our house is always a home for you, such as it is. You are my son and I will do everything in my power to help you, come what may._

 _I hope that you will consider Ginny's feelings Harry. She feels very left out in the cold with you gone. I'm not presuming anything about your relationship with my daughter. What you decide is right for your relationship is your prerogative, but as her mother I would ask that you set things right with her. Whichever direction you take, she needs that certainty to move forward with her life. I know you will do the right thing._

 _Look after Hermione for me. I worry about her. If something were to go wrong….make sure she knows she can always come home to the Burrow. Take care of her as you always have and I know she will be fine._

 _Please come by the Burrow whenever you can. We do miss you and our family needs all the support it can get right now. I hate to ask Ron to leave you, but I know that you will understand. We need him right now. We need you too._

 _Do send word that you are alright. Again, look after Hermione and send her my love. Make sure to stop in before heading to Hogwarts._

 _All my love,_

 _Molly_

He knew that Mrs. Weasley would understand that letting Hermione make her choice was the best way for him to look out for her interests. It bolstered his conviction that he was doing the right thing, even if it pained him to think of leaving her behind.

He felt her presence before he saw her. She took a seat next to him in the sand. They didn't say anything for awhile. Her silence seemed to confirm his worst fears. She was going to stay.

He felt an icy cold go down his spine. He had spent years thinking his worst fear was living his life with her dead, but living a life where she was alive but still not with him was worse. Much worse.

He felt sick. He suddenly doubted that she had ever really wanted to be with him. Maybe she stuck around for so long because of Ron or because it was simply the right thing to do to get the job done. Maybe it had simply been a cold calculation on her part. Now that she had the opportunity to make a choice for herself, she was choosing to leave him.

But this wasn't just about him, he reminded himself, she had a family. It was easy for him to choose his friends because he had no real family. He had often taken for granted that his two closest friends had blood relatives that _should_ come before him in their considerations.

He forced himself to look over at her. To his surprise she was already looking intently at him. Their eyes met and he instantly knew that she knew everything he was thinking.

"I always _chose_ _you_ Harry." Her voice was whisper soft.

"I just…I'm being selfish. I told you to make your choice and you've made it. I'm genuinely happy for you. You deserve this."

He took her hand, but to his surprise she shook her head.

"I haven't made my choice because I have to ask you something first."

"No." Harry surprised himself with the strength of his reply. "I don't want to figure in this. This is your life Hermione."

"I know that Harry." The softness of her voice instantly disarmed him. "I'm asking you this because I want to. There's something I have to know."

Harry's mind went into overdrive, he didn't like this feeling that her choice swung on his answer. For that matter, what could she be planning on asking him?

"Okay."

"Harry, if…." She took a deep breath, "if I asked you to stay here…with me….would you?"

Time seemed to stand still. He had time to take in the fact that Hermione was holding her breath and refusing to break her gaze on him. Molly's words rang through his ears.

 _Take care of her, as you always have._

He weighed the cost. It would mean leaving the Weasley's behind. Leaving Ginny behind. Maybe he could convince Andromeda to move here with Teddy and make a fresh start, but maybe she wouldn't. It wouldn't make much of a list, he had never had that many attachments, but each carried a weight that Harry knew outstripped how short a list it was.

He could always visit, but there was a knowledge in the back of his mind that it would never be the same.

It would also mean leaving behind every reminder of his former life. Every reminder of those he had failed to protect. He could leave a world that wanted him so desperately to be the hero and the savior that he knew he never wanted to be.

All these faded into the background when compared to the girl sitting beside him. He had never once asked her to stay. He had never had to persuade her to go with him anywhere. She was simply a part of him that went wherever he went, a voice in his mind that spoke even when she wasn't physically present. He had gone over all she had done for him in his mind a hundred times in the past few weeks and he found that whatever his mind told him, the matter was already settled in his heart.

"Yes."

A small genuine smile curled on her lips as a tear escaped from her eyes.

"Harry, I want to go back to England."

"But…"

"Harry, I _never_ wanted to stay here. I just had to know that whatever I chose, that you would be there with me."

"But this choice wasn't about me."

"Harry, all my choices are about you. Don't you get it?" She sounded slightly frustrated. "It's the same choice I've made over and over again. It had nothing to do with not having control over my life and everything to do with the fact that I always wanted…..always _needed_ you. Not my parents, not Ron… _you_."

Harry was at a loss for what to say. The night felt a lot warmer and fuzzier than it had a few minutes ago. He always knew he needed her, but to know she needed him….he couldn't put into words what it was he felt.

"Wh…what about your parents?" He finally managed.

"I love them Harry, more than they could know. I know they see it as me choosing magic, choosing _you_ over them, but there's really nothing else to do. I'm an adult now and my life isn't here. They will understand that. They got over me going to Hogwarts, they will get over this too. Eventually."

Harry saw her face slide into that determined look Hermione always had when she had made up her mind. It would take forces of nature beyond his control to change it now. He wracked his brain to find something acceptable to say, something to put words to what he felt in his chest. He never had been any good at it.

Then he remembered something she had said just a week or so ago on a warm clear night in Athens.

"I love you, Hermione."

Her eyes watered and her hand squeezed tight on his, "I love you too."

She promptly crushed him in one of her trademark hugs. He felt her start crying into his chest as a few tears escaped his own. He knew that it wasn't just because they were going home or because she had her parents back, or because they had decided to stay together no matter what; they were both crying because for the first time in months, it finally felt _over._

After all they had been through, all they had sacrificed, and all that they had fought so hard for; it was finally, really over. Their lives no longer hinged on the next few moments and the future stretched welcomingly before them.

They sat there next to each other long into the night. Harry had never given much thought to the future. He had long felt like he didn't have the luxury.

Now, however, he indulged himself in picturing the many years that stretched hopefully before him. He thought of the years filled with time spent at the Burrow for holidays, the small house decked out in Christmas colors or filled with Easter eggs. He thought of being able to spend all the time in the world with Hermione and Ron with nothing to come between them. It filled him with an overwhelming sense of peace and seemed to fill in the many wounds in his heart. For the first time in his whole life,

All was well.


	21. Chapter 21

**Volume Three**

* * *

It had been by far the most enjoyable two weeks Harry had ever had at the Burrow.

He had obviously never had the chance to experience what life was like living in a wizard home with the largest cares on anybody's mind being everyday chores, meal choices, and quidditch. Even the Daily Prophet stories about the reconstruction of the Ministry of Magic and the country at large couldn't break the spell of normalcy that had fallen over the magical home in Ottery St. Catchpole.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, Luna, Hermione, and George were locked in a tight game of quidditch. Harry, Hermione and Ron versus Luna, Ginny and George. With no snitch, Harry found his chaser skills pushed to the limit by Ginny. Luna was only slightly better than Hermione and the two Weasley keepers both blocked a fair share of the shots at their goals.

Harry's team was up by ten and needed only one more goal to reach the agreed upon score limit of one hundred and fifty.

Ron blocked a shot from Luna and passed to Hermione, who immediately tried to pass to Harry. Unfortunately, Harry had been across the pitch and Ginny easily intercepted the pass and pelted the quaffle passed the outstretched arms of Ron to tie the game.

Harry called a timeout to talk his team through a game plan.

"Okay, tie game, it's our last match of the summer so let's take the Burrow Cup home with us for good."

They had been exchanging an old bicycle Harry had found that Hermione had transfigured into a dull aluminum replica of the Quidditch World Cup back and forth all summer and it was understood that today's winner would have their names engraved upon the cup and keep it for the duration of the school term.

"Ron, I was thinking…maybe we should switch you and Hermione? Just go all out assault on their goal?"

Harry saw a look of terror come across Hermione's face at being trusted with the goal, but Ron was already shaking his head.

"No go mate. My chaser skills aren't that great. Besides, I think I have a better idea." A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes and he looked at Hermione. "You're going to score the winning goal."

Hermione flushed. "M-me? But I'm rubbish! What are you talking about?"

Ron looked at Harry. "Yes, you're going to do it Hermione, because Harry is going to be the hero."

Harry was confused. How could he play the hero, but Hermione score the goal. Wouldn't he be the one to score the goal if he was going to be the hero? Besides, it made sense for him to do it since he was the better chaser and no one in their right mind…..

"Wait, I get it. I'm going to be bait!" a smile etched across Ron's face. Hermione looked more confused than ever.

"Exactly mate. You're going to do the best flying of your life and convince them that you are going to score the goal or die trying. If I know Ginny and George well enough, they'll pull Luna off Hermione to double you…"

"Leaving her wide open to take the shot!" Harry finished. Both boys looked, smiling at Hermione.

"No! What if I miss? You take the shot Harry!" Harry had only seen her look this scared once, before their O.W.L. exams in fifth year.

Ron simply laughed. "Hermione Granger! You have ridden dragons and faced the worst evils this world ever conjured and you're afraid of shooting the winning goal in quidditch?"

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "I'm not afraid to shoot the quaffle!" she huffed, "I…I'm just afraid…"

"That you'll fail." Harry finished. Hermione blushed slightly.

Harry gave her his most reassuring smile. "I trust you completely. You'll be brilliant, just like always."

"Oi! This is the longest time out in quidditch history! Let's play!" George's voice floated to them across the pitch.

Harry and Ron both grinned at Hermione who looked like she might be sick. When play started Harry took the quaffle and pushed his Firebolt as far as he could push it. He dived, rolled, climbed, dinked and dunked all over the pitch trying to get past Ginny and Luna.

Ron had been right, even George wasn't sparing a glance Hermione's direction, their entire team was convinced that Harry was going to take the shot.

If he could just buy a few more seconds, Hermione had inched her way within striking distance of the goal.

It was right then that it happened, He had streaked towards George and backtracked to run straight into Luna. In the brief moment he hesitated so as not to dismount her, Ginny punched the quaffle loose towards the middle of the pitch.

Both he and Ginny were streaking as fast as they could towards the quaffle. Harry knew with the size of the pitch that there was no way this was taking longer than seconds to unfold, but it seemed like whole minutes went by neck and neck with Ginny, leaning with all his might to force every ounce of speed out of his broomstick.

At last, thanking the heavens for his superior broom, Harry gained a knife edge on Ginny and grabbed the quaffle. He didn't hesitate and instantly passed it behind his back in Hermione's direction.

He pulled out of his dive and flew the opposite direction and, to his glee, saw that all three sets of eyes were still focused on him. It was Ginny who noticed first that Harry was empty handed, but the moment hesitation she took to look to see if Luna had it cost her.

Hermione had her arm wound up and was already in her throwing motion when Ginny screamed at George to block it.

George looked from Harry to Hermione for one dumbstruck fraction of a second before desperately diving towards his left hoop.

Time seemed to slow again for Harry as he watched Hermione's shot and George converge at the hoop, the quaffle passing a hair's breadth past his outstretched fingers and through the goal.

"Yes!" Harry and Ron shouted together and flew towards a frozen Hermione. Ginny and George had started arguing while Luna simply gazed into space and hummed to herself.

They both reached Hermione at the same time and threw their arms around her, slowly sinking to the ground.

"I…I did it!" she finally squeaked. When they reached the ground Hermione threw her arms around Harry who picked her up and twirled her around once, both of them laughing hysterically. While Ron clapped them both on the back, Harry noticed that Hermione's eyes seemed very bright with pride and….

Before he had time to think about it, Ginny's voice summoned him from his reverie and a very different set of brown eyes, ones set in a sour face and full of envy grabbed his attention.

"Here is the cup, you guys won fair and square." She thrust it at Harry coldly. Worried that there was more to her demeanor than quidditch, Harry handed the cup to Ron who had Hermione help him hold it aloft.

"The first annual Burrow Cup Champions!" Ron proclaimed. Hermione flicked her wand and their names appeared in small, neat handwriting around the cup's edge.

"Brilliant move Harry and Hermione." George chimed in. "Would have lost every galleon in Gringotts betting you would take the shot Harry."

"It was Ron's idea." Hermione beamed at him. Ron thrust his chest out and the airy confidence that had begun to find a home on his face came out in full force. It reminded Harry forcefully of Cedric Diggory.

"Are you kids done playing? I could use some help setting the table!" Mrs. Weasley's voice called out from the kitchen.

While Hermione, Ron, Luna, and George retreated to the house to wash up and help Mrs. Weasley, Harry hung back with an extremely grumpy looking Ginny.

"You played a great game Ginny." Harry spoke soothingly. He knew she hated losing, but had a very bad feeling that this had something to do with his bushy haired best friend.

Ginny had been surprisingly angry about Ron and Hermione's break up. Ron had told him that she had spent twenty minutes prying every detail of their separation in a very exasperated tone before finally huffing away and sulking for a few hours. She had also been treating a hurt Hermione with cold indifference since she had joined them at the Burrow with Harry two weeks prior.

"What was all that about?" Ginny spat accusingly, pointing vaguely to the spot next to Harry.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about Ginny. We were simply celebrating winning." Harry knew good and well what she was talking about, but was determined to stand up for Hermione. He had grown tired of Ginny's treatment of her.

"Oh, so can I plan on you dancing around with her and staring at her every time we win a game at Hogwarts too?" Ginny's face had flushed to match her hair. Harry knew her temper was reaching dangerous levels.

"Ginny I don't know what your problem is with Hermione, but this is getting old. She is your friend and my best friend. Why don't you start acting like it? You never even congratulated her on getting her parents back." Harry could feel his own temper rising.

"It's not my fault she broke my brother's heart! And sorry if I don't want my boyfriend dancing around with another woman!" he swore that he saw flames fly from her nostrils. A dragon might actually be preferable to facing an enraged Ginny Weasley, but Harry was in no mood to back down.

"If you haven't noticed, your brother is just fine, and what is with this new jealousy of Hermione? You never seemed to care before, but ever since we came back from the horcrux hunt you have been on my case about her!"

"Because you're both different now!" Ginny was only inches away from his face now. "You two have always been close but something happened while you were gone and now you're practically inseparable! At least before I knew my brother was in the picture, but she's a free woman now!"

"Ginny, I told you, I looked at the Marauders Map thinking about _you_ while I was gone. I'm with _you_ now, not Hermione. Is that not good enough for you?"

He stared hard into her bright brown eyes. They were beautiful, even when they were shooting daggers at him like they were now. After a lengthy stare down, she finally huffed an enormous sigh.

"Yes Harry, it is."

She planted a soft kiss on his lips. Harry returned it, but frowned.

"I want you to promise me you'll make things right with her."

Ginny looked ready to go another round, but at the fire in Harry's emerald eyes, she relented again.

"Okay." She mumbled. It would have to do. "I love you."

Harry felt an electric shock go down his spine.

"Ginny….you…what?"

"I said: I love you Harry." Her face fell and Harry saw hurt pooling in her eyes.

"I….Ginny…" he stammered.

"It's okay Harry." There were tears forming at the edges of her eyes, "I'll just go back inside."

She took a step towards the house, but he reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Ginny, wait."

She turned around, tears now falling freely, but a small flicker of hope flashed across her face.

"I just, you took me by surprise."

"I'm sorry Harry, I meant it though."

"I know you do Ginny, but…" he took a deep breath, "That's exactly why I can't say it back." The hope on Ginny's face died. "I don't want to say anything I don't mean."

It sounded much lamer out loud than it had sounded in his head, but he meant it. He had no desire to hurt her. She had been hurt enough lately without him adding to it.

"I…I understand Harry. I wouldn't want you to say it to me unless you meant it." Ginny sighed and turned to walk back to the house. Harry stood for a moment asking himself why he couldn't tell his first and only real girlfriend he loved her.


	22. Chapter 22

Content had never been a word to describe Ron's existence.

There had always been older brothers to live up to, a romantic interest that always did better at nearly everything, not to mention being friends with the guy who was the savior of the wizarding world. Twice.

But now? None of that bothered him anymore. He had been through too much and lost too much in the past year to let simple things bother him anymore.

Besides, he was just starting to realize just how good he really had it.

Poor Harry had been inundated with thank you cards and gifts the moment he had returned to England. He refused to go in public anymore unless it was necessary because he couldn't go anywhere without a crowd forming around him. The boy had never been comfortable with fame of any kind and found his new status more cumbersome and embarrassing than anything. Even Ron, who had used to yearn for the sort of spotlight Harry always had, didn't envy him.

Hermione's parents, while they had been more than happy to have their memories and their daughter back, had decided for the time being to stay in Australia. They corresponded frequently, but he could tell by the look that crossed Hermione's face when she read their letters that there were still some tensions in the Granger family.

"Ron? Could you help me slice the potatoes for supper?" his mother's voice called from the kitchen.

"Coming."

Ron made his way to the kitchen and successfully bewitched a knife to slice the freshly peeled potatoes. The slices weren't exactly even, but he was still getting the hang of some of the more domestic charms.

There was also the small matter of the way the Harry and Hermione acted around each other. To the untrained eye, nothing had changed. Harry and Hermione were still Harry and Hermione, the best of friends. However, Ron noticed that there was something new about them.

It was little things: Harry taking Hermione's dishes with his and Ginny's at the end of meals, Hermione's eyes lingering a bit longer on Harry when he left the room, Hermione ruffling Harry's hair, or Harry actually paying attention when Hermione went on her long diatribes.

Finishing the potatoes and moving now to the sink to wash some vegetables, he had to try three times before he got the hang of the simple wand flick to make them move and wash themselves.

Unfortunately, he didn't think he was the only one to notice this new level of friendship between Harry and Hermione. Ginny had been upset when he told her about his and Hermione's relationship ending, but he thought it suspicious that she could still be upset about that now. He caught Ginny throwing Hermione dirty looks when she had her back turned and there definitely seemed to be a rift between the former friends.

No, Ron couldn't be more grateful to avoid the problems his two closest friends were dealing with. He was more than happy to enjoy his friends and family now that the pallor of Fred's death had finally seemed to lift from the house. It wasn't that the pain was gone, but it no longer seemed to be sucking the life out of them.

His father and Percy had both returned to work and Ginny had returned from her stay at the Lovegood's with Luna in tow. Even George smiled from time to time, though he still hadn't returned to the joke shop. Angelina was managing things at the moment with occasional help from Ron, but she came over at least once a week to ask George to come back. Every time George maintained that he would return, but that it just wasn't time yet. Nobody begrudged him taking his time.

Finishing his work in the kitchen, Ron decided t take a stroll through the woods. He followed the little river where he and Hermione had once chased each other before settling down in the shade a tree was providing over a large, flat rock at the river's edge.

To top off his good fortune, he was even returning to Hogwarts. He had been ambivalent when Hermione had first brought it up, but the closer he came to the first of September, the happier he was to be returning for his real final year.

It seemed too good to be true that he would finally have a normal year, where he could enjoy the simple pleasures of school life without having to worry about nefarious plots and evil sorcerers. Sure the schoolwork was a pain, but he missed quidditch games, Hagrid, Hogsmeade weekends, and the easy companionship of life in Gryffindor tower. Besides, he was sure he and Harry were going to find plenty of ways to make their seventh year a memorable one. They still had the cloak after all….

"Hey mate, mind if I join you?"

He had never heard Harry coming. The guy had developed into quite the sneak.

"Of course."

Harry plopped down beside him, skipping a stone that had caught underneath his leg across the slow moving water.

"Seems unreal to be heading back."

"Unreal? Yes. Brilliant though." He replied. "You and Ginny alright?"

"Yeah." Harry frowned. It made him look older and much more like the careworn Harry of the past three years than the younger, happier Harry. Ron and Hermione had talked in private about how much they wished to see that Harry again.

"Hey, at least now you'll get to have class with her too. It'll be strange, being a year behind."

"Yeah." Suddenly, Harry's face lit up in a genuine smile. "I nearly forgot to tell you, Neville's coming back!"

Ron grinned back. "Really? He finished though right?"

"Not exactly, they didn't really have any exams after the battle. Besides, he said he spent more time in detention or hiding from the Carrows than actually getting an education."

Ron chuckled. So they wouldn't be the only students making up a year. It would be nice to have a familiar face in class.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before a loud bell tolling came drifting through the trees.

"Time to eat!" Ron jumped up excitedly.

"Race you there." Harry had already took off.

"No fair!" Ron shouted and chased after him. Luckily his long legs made up for the late start and they reached the back door to the Burrow at the same time, huffing for breath.

"Tie." They said together.

Dinners at the Burrow had always been his favorite part of being a Weasley. They may not have had much, but Ron wouldn't trade the bustling chatter and clatter of silverware that accompanied the wonderful food his mother made for anything.

The chatter was particularly noisy tonight, as there was only three days left before Hogwarts term began. Hermione was chatting away with Arthur and Percy about N.E.W.T.'s. Harry, Ginny, and George were talking rapid fire about the Gryffindor quidditch team. Molly was politely listening to Luna talk about her travel plans for after graduation.

It was then that he caught it. He had turned to ask his father what his test scores had been when he noticed Hermione was not looking at Arthur anymore, but was looking across the table concernedly at Harry.

Harry, he was just now noticing, wasn't as invested in his conversation as he looked. His eyes had a faraway look to them and he was frowning. Sensing someone's eyes on him, Harry looked first at Ron, giving him a faint smile before turning to Hermione. His face relaxed and he gave her a genuine smile.

Hermione met his smile with a concerned look. Harry's smile faded and he nodded his head slightly. Hermione raised a single eyebrow to which Harry replied by shaking his head. He smiled again reassuringly and the smile widened when Hermione smiled back. Briefly, Ron saw a look of utter contentment flash across both his friends faces before both of them abruptly turned and rejoined their respective conversations.

 _I'll never quite understand those two._

They had literally just had an entire conversation without saying a word to one another, and no one other than him was any the wiser. It baffled him to no end the connection they seemed to have. He wondered briefly what it was they had been "talking" about.

Ron laughed to himself. He was sure whatever it was, they would fill him in later. They always did. Besides, nowadays it was sure not to involve the kinds of things those conversations used to mean. He was content to wait and see.

He spent the rest of the night gazing fondly around the table at the family and friends he loved so much. Yes, Ron Weasley was content. Very content indeed.

Ron woke the next morning to his door banging open and a high pitched squeal of delight. Before he could fully get his bearings, something light landed on his sheets and his view was obscured by Hermione's bushy hair.

"Our Hogwarts letter are here! Finally!" he heard her tear into hers and disappear behind the parchment. Opening his own, he was surprised to find two badges instead of one. The first was his prefect badge, and the second was in Gryffindor colors with a large "C" on it.

"What's…?"

Hermione laughed, beaming at him. "You're Quidditch Captain now Ron."

"But Harry…"

"Harry turned it down. The Headmistress wrote him to ask him if he wanted it a week ago and he declined. He didn't want it. He said you would make a better captain than him anyways."

She was still smiling at him while Ron processed this new information. Him, Quidditch Captain. It made his chest swell.

"Brilliant. I'll have to thank him." He looked over to see Harry's bed already empty. "Where's Harry?"

"He went to see Teddy today. He wanted to spend some time with him before we left for Hogwarts. He left early this morning."

He had nearly forgotten that Harry had a godson now. An orphan godson at that.

"Well remind me to check with you to book Harry for appointments." He grinned at Hermione. She scowled back at him.

"I'm not his secretary."

"No, you just happen to know what he's up to at all times and what his plans are."

"It's not my fault he…"

"Hermione I'm kidding." He patted her arm. She huffed out a breath before taking on a radiant smile. "What is it 'Mione?"

"I'm head girl!" she squealed, shoving a shiny badge with the letters "HG" on it in his face.

"Haha, funny how those are your initials. Congrats. No one deserves it more than you." She swooped down to give him a hug. "I wonder if that means…" he looked at the unopened letter in her hand. Hermione pulled it away from him.

"We're not opening Harry's letter. Your curiosity will have to wait." But Ron could hear the trepidation in her voice.

"Come on….I know you want to know if he's Head Boy." He needled, seeing the torn expressions on her face. "But okay, if you say so….we'll just wait _all day_ until Harry comes back late tonight…"

He never finished because right then Hermione ripped open Harry's letter and let out a shriek of delight when a badge just like hers with the letters "HB" fell into her hand. She swooped down and crushed Ron in another hug.

"I knew it! I knew it! Oh, Harry! I wish he was here!"

Genuinely amused at her antics, Ron gently removed her and got up to get dressed. "Why don't you go grab Pig to write to your parents?"

"Oh, you're right! They'll be so excited! Thank you Ron!" She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before rushing out the door and down the stairs.

"As if it could have been anyone else." Ron chuckled to himself. He had a brief memory of seeing himself in the Mirror of Erised as Head Boy. Back then he had wanted so badly to one day wear the badge. Now he found he was quite happy to be content with his own badges.

He had found being a Prefect may have had its advantages, but he wasn't the biggest fan of the responsibility that came with it. Being Head Boy would have simply added on to it, especially if he was going to be Quidditch Captain as well.

He was already going over in his mind how he wanted the team to play and who would still be on the team. Most of Harry's team had been in lower years and so would be back, but they would be a year out of practice since quidditch had ceased during Snape's year as Headmaster. Open tryouts would probably be a good idea.

His mind still preoccupied on quidditch, he was ambushed in the kitchen by his mother who was over the moon about their collective achievements. He pieced together through her hyper speed chatter that Luna had been made a prefect to replace Benjamin Driggers who had died during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Knowing that his mother would be in full swing preparation mode for a big party that night, he slipped out of the kitchen to find somewhere to hide out for the next couple of hours. The joke shop seemed like a good idea. Angelina could always use the extra hands and he enjoyed the time he spent there. It hardly ever felt like work. His mind made up he walked past the apparition barriers, turned on the spot and was greeted by the noisy crowd outside of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.

He pushed his way past the crowd to find a frazzled Angelina behind the counter.

"Ron! Thank God! The new guy never showed up! Stupid git. I could use some help!"

Ron chuckled to himself as he situated himself behind the other side of the counter. "No problem Angelina."

He turned to help a group of young kids who could have been first years at Hogwarts. Before he knew it he was neck deep in helping customers. The joke shop had always done well, even during the height of the war, but ever since the war had ended it had positively exploded. It seemed as if people were still in the celebratory mood they had been in all summer and business was booming.

He got a sense of satisfaction in knowing that these people were getting laughs and good times out of the things he sold them. He knew firsthand how much laughing helped with the healing and he was more than happy to think that this was his small way to make this new world a better one.

He had always thought about being an Auror. Following Harry into the department had always seemed like the logical choice for a career path and it still held a lot of appeal, but Ron was beginning to think that it wasn't the only career path he could see himself happy with after Hogwarts.

"Hello, Ron is it?" a soft voice pierced his daydreaming. It was a tall and willowy witch who he vaguely recognized.

"Yes, Mrs. Creevey right?" she shook her head solemnly. "What can I do for you?"

"Yes, well my little girl would like one of your Pygmy Puffs." She gave him a small smile.

"Of course and what is your name?" he bent down to be at eye level with the little girl. She was very young, maybe six years old with her brown hair in a long ponytail and bright green eyes.

"Melissa." She replied shyly. She was holding on to a pink Pygmy Puff. "Her name is Esmeralda." A bright smile came across her face as she gestured with the small animal.

"That's wonderful sweetie. Tell you what," he pointed to Angelina, "that young lady right there would love to help you get Esmeralda safely into her carrying case while I speak to your mum for a second. That okay?"

Melissa smiled and blushed. "Mmhmm. Thank you." And she bounced away to Angelina.

"That's the first time I've seen her smile like that in two months." Mrs. Creevey whispered.

"Mrs. Creevey, you take the Pygmy Puff home with your little girl on the house. Her smile is all the payment I needed."

Mrs. Creevey's eyes watered as she mouthed a silent "Thank you" Before walking over to retrieve little Melissa.

Ron felt warmth settle into his chest watching the smiling Melissa disappear into the crowd. If doing something so simple could put a smile on a sad little girl's face, then he could get _very_ used to working here.


	23. Chapter 23

Hermione loved reading in the woods.

There was something whimsical about sitting beneath a tree in the middle of the forest and getting lost in another world. It was like something out of the fairy tales that her mother had read to her when she was a little girl.

The problem was that today she wasn't able to focus on the book sitting in her lap. She kept reading the same paragraph over and over and was getting nowhere. There were too many other things rattling around in her brain.

"Oh, am I interrupting?" a dreamy voice spoke from behind her.

"No Luna, I actually am having a hard time focusing. What brings you out here?"

"I like walking through the woods." She replied, not looking at Hermione but letting her gaze wander the tree canopy. "There's something freeing about it, just letting your feet take you somewhere." Hermione noticed that she was barefoot.

Luna always struck her as odd and she was a foil in many ways to Hermione's hard logic, but the girl had really grown on her in the past several years. She was incredibly perceptive and Hermione found she was a useful sounding board when she couldn't detangle her thoughts.

"Care to join me?" Hermione patted the ground next to her.

"I would love to. What is distracting your focus from your book?" Luna turned her large blue eyes to Hermione. It always made her feel like Luna was seeing into her somehow.

"There's….well…" Hermione took a deep breath, "I'm really excited about being Head Girl, but I'm also nervous about the responsibility. I'm also worried that I haven't studied enough this summer to be caught up where I am supposed to be and I don't want to start the year behind schedule because our N.E.W.T.'s are this year and they are really important for our futures and I don't want to mess them up. I'm also a little hurt that Ginny doesn't talk to me anymore and keep giving me the cold shoulder and I'malittlejealousthatsheandHarryarestilltogether."

She blurted out the last little bit so fast it amazed her she was able to form intelligible words. She hadn't meant to talk about that at all, but the inertia of getting everything off her chest had built up momentum to the point where she couldn't stop herself.

Luna didn't look surprised, at least, no more surprised than she normally looked. "I really don't think you should be concerned about being Head Girl or your exams, I think you know that you're going to work hard and excel like you always have and I'm not that surprised you would be jealous of Ginny and Harry."

"You're not?" Hermione's curiosity got the best of her.

"No." Luna replied serenely, "He's your best friend. You're used to having him around all the time and being able to talk to him or spend time whenever you want. Now there's another girl that's higher on his priority list than you, a girl who happens to be your friend too. It's natural that you would feel some jealousy."

Luna said this like it was the simplest thing in the world. It was that particular quality about her, being able to make some of life's more complicated feelings sound like very simple truths, which endeared her to Hermione.

"I guess you're right. It's not that I'm not happy for him. He seems happy and more than anything I want for him to be happy."

Luna was still looking at her, "Are you sure that's all there is to it?"

Okay, she really needed to stop doing that.

Of course there was more to it. She kept doing this thing where whenever she would see Harry and Ginny together she would picture herself with Harry instead. Harry always looked happier in her version of events. It also gave her a strange sense of satisfaction whenever she ruffled his hair and saw that lopsided grin of his.

"Y-yeah, that's it." She finally replied, dragging herself out of her own head. "What do you mean? What else could it be?"

What was it about Luna that made her lose her ability to keep her big mouth shut?

"Well, I just wondered if maybe you were jealous because you wanted to be with Harry yourself." Luna replied simply. "It wouldn't be the strangest thing in the world. Haven't people asked you about your relationship with him before?"

That was certainly true. The list of people she had had to correct about her relationship to Harry was extensive and at one time or another included just about everyone they had ever come in contact with.

"What has that got to do with anything?"

"Nothing really, but it proves the point that it wouldn't be weird at all for you two to be together. Which means it wouldn't be odd for you to think about it or be jealous that he's with Ginny."

"But it is odd Luna." Hermione huffed, "He's my best friend. He's never been anything more than that and he's certainly never looked at me any differently. I fell in love with his best friend, not him." She was growing more frustrated the longer this conversation went.

"But it didn't work out with him did it?" Luna was as calm and serene as ever. "And you've always loved Harry."

"Yeah, but not like _that_."

"What makes you say that?"

"I…well…."

"Did you ever picture what it would be like with Harry?"

"Once or twice…."

"Did you ever think about kissing him?"

"Once…."

"Did it gross you out?"

"No!"

"Then how did you love him any differently?"

"Harry was always…..always more like….a brother you could say. And he told Ron that that was how he thought of me." Ron had told her just last week about what the Horcrux had shown him in the forest that night.

"But he's not your brother." Luna stated simply.

"Yeah, but he's just like one." She replied weakly.

"Except for the fact that you could be with him and it's not weird or wrong."

"It would be weird though! It's….it's Harry!"

"Okay, let me phrase it another way." How Luna could stay so calm about this was beyond Hermione's ability to understand. "If there was a guy who was just like Harry in every way, would you go out with him?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "Of course I would, Harry is a wonderful guy. If there was someone just like him, but _not_ him then sure I would."

"Okay, then why not him? What would stop you from going out with Harry if you could?"

She let that thought seep into her brain. Being together with Harry?

 _With Harry?_

She had let her mind go there with Harry only twice. During her fifth year she had thought about the possibility of them becoming Prefects together. It would have them spending a lot more time on their own without Ron around. One thing had led to another in her mind's eye and she had pictured a scenario where their time spent on Prefect patrols finally opened his eyes to her.

Of course, Harry had still been infatuated with Cho at the time and Ron ended up being Prefect instead, so the rest had been history. The only other time she had entertained the thought was at the beginning of sixth year when she had been explaining to a naïve Harry why he was suddenly so popular. She had been honest with him about how fanciable he had indeed become by then and had indulged herself with a little fantasy about how jealous all the girls would be of her if she had been with him.

"Have the Nargles gotten to you?"

Luna's voice brought her tumbling back into the present. "Er…..no. I was just, thinking…."

"Well I did ask you a question after all."

Right, Luna had asked a question. What was it about? Oh, right, what would stop her from being with Harry if she could?

If he wasn't dating Ginny? If he was single and there was no other girl he liked? What was there to stop her?...

"Ron." She answered herself out loud, turning to Luna. "Ron. I couldn't do that to him. It would hurt his feelings."

He had always been afraid she preferred Harry to him. How could she ever let herself prove him right by dating Harry?

"I don't think it would hurt his feelings at all." Luna stated it like it was a fundamental law of the universe. "I think Ronald would be happy to see his two best friends be happy with each other. He just doesn't know it yet."

With that, Luna stood up and skipped off deeper into the woods humming a tune that sounded like "Weasley Is Our King", leaving in her wake a very perplexed and disconcerted Hermione.

* * *

Little Teddy Lupin felt so tender in Harry's arms that he was afraid to squeeze in case he hurt him somehow. Harry had no experience with babies. Let alone a baby who's hair changed color ever five minutes. At the moment it was a fiery red color that made him look very much like a miniature Weasley. Harry thought with a chuckle that this was what Ron may have looked like as a baby.

Andromeda was leaving for the evening after Harry had spent the morning and afternoon getting acquainted with what it took to watch after Teddy. Once he felt confident that he could handle it, he began ushering her out the door to spend some time on herself.

"This is very sweet of you Harry, please floo Molly if you run into any problems." Andromeda gave him a grateful look. There was a dull sheen to her eyes and she looked paler and thinner than when Harry had seen her last. The strain of losing Ted, Remus, and Tonks along with having to take care of Teddy had definitely taken its toll on the witch.

"It's no problem Andromeda and here, take this with you." He handed her a sealed letter. "I know you're going to go see them, leave this there for me will you?" Andromeda's eyes softened. "Of course Harry. I will see you tonight."

When she was out the door the house seemed eerily quiet. The only noise was the soft clicking of the clock on the wall, that is, until Teddy let out a loud giggle. Harry laughed along with him.

"What's so funny sport?" he tickled Teddy's neck to induce another round of giggling from the little boy. His hair turned a bright pink color. Harry felt his heart turn into ice; it was exactly like Tonks had often worn her hair.

"Your mummy used to wear her hair like that, did you know that?" he asked Teddy, his voice barely above a hoarse whisper. Teddy gave him a wide smile and giggled some more. He was a very happy child, much like his mother had been in life. Only in his eyes did he resemble his Marauder father, at least until he gained the ability to change them.

Teddy began to shift and squirm in Harry's arms. Considering it had been awhile since he had eaten he figured Teddy must be hungry. Warming one of the bottles from the refrigerator with a flick of his wand, he sat in a squashy arm chair by the fireplace while he fed his godson. Watching him wave his arms towards the bottle and hungrily drink the milk down, it came to Harry all at once that he had a responsibility to this little boy in his arms. He couldn't take care of his everyday needs, he had to finish school, but a conviction came over Harry that he would be there as much as was humanly possible. He was determined that Teddy grow up surrounded by people that loved him, so he briefly filed away a thought to talk to Mrs. Weasley about Teddy going to the Burrow on occasion to lighten the load on Andromeda.

Then, he got an altogether better idea.

He wasn't terribly sure how safe it was, but Andromeda had told him that he could do it if he needed to. He didn't exactly need to, but it would serve a great purpose if all went according to the idea in his mind. Settled that it was the right thing to do, he walked with a still eating Teddy out the front door onto the second step where he turned on the spot and appeared just outside of the Burrow.

Walking up to the back door, the noise drifting through the door told him that the whole family was settled around the dinner table. A sudden nervousness washed over him as he thought about what he was about to do, but he gathered his courage, stepped through the kitchen and into the dining room.

"Hey guys, mind if we have a visitor?"

The conversations around the table died as everyone took in the sight of Harry holding the infant Teddy. Mrs. Weasley was tearing up, while Hermione, Ginny, and Luna all simultaneously whispered "Awww!" Ron and George were beaming at him. Mr. Weasley had craned his neck around from his conversation with a haughty looking Percy, "Well! If it isn't little Lupin! So nice of you to bring him Harry, please sit down."

Harry took a seat next to Mrs. Weasley who instantly reached for Teddy. "Oh, Harry dear may I?"

"Of course Mrs. Weasley." Her eyes lit up as she transferred Teddy fluidly into her arms and began cooing at Teddy who grinned back around the bottle still lodged in his mouth.

"Does Andromeda know you brought him over?" Hermione looked concerned.

"Well, not exactly. But she left him with me for the evening and I have a reason for bringing him here." Everyone collectively shifted their gaze from Teddy to Harry. "I want…I want you guys to know Teddy." He took a steadying breath, "I want him to know you and for you to be involved with him. Andromeda can't do this alone and I want Teddy…I want him to grow up surrounded by people that love him. I hope that's okay with you guys and I know I'll have to talk to his grandmother but…."

"Of course we will Harry." Mrs. Weasley wiped a tear from her eyes.

"Yeah mate, we wouldn't miss it for the world." Ron grinned.

"Of course Harry." Mr. Weasley was smiling at him.

"Sure Harry." Ginny reached across to grab his hand.

George and Luna were both smiling and nodding. Percy gave him a stiff nod, and then surprised Harry with a genuine smile.

Harry's eyes finally found Hermione and his heart swelled to see the adoring look she was giving him. Pride for him was pouring out of her and she simply nodded.

"I'm so glad you guys are on board." Harry again looked around the table at the family he loved, _his family_ , so happy that Teddy would know their love too.

Teddy gave a large yawn on Mrs. Weasley's shoulder. "You probably want to get him home Harry and get him to bed. I'll lift the wards so you won't have to go outside." Giving her wand a wave.

Harry stood up and transferred Teddy to his own shoulder smiling as the little boy's hair turned a cool shade of blue. Another round of "awww" went around the table. "I'll be late getting in Mrs. Weasley." He gave everyone one more smile before turning on the spot and reappearing in Andromeda's living room. Teddy was already fast asleep on his shoulder so he walked into his room and put him into his crib, activating the mobile that featured snitches, broomsticks, and a single wolf that Andromeda had included as a reminder of Remus.

He stood there for awhile just watching Teddy sleep before he sensed a presence behind him. His hand flicked towards his wand…

"Old habits die hard don't they?" Hermione's voice was soft.

"Real hard." He turned to face her as she walked over to stand next to him, gazing fondly down at the sleeping baby boy. "What brought you over here?"

"This." She didn't break her gaze, looking utterly content. "You're going to make an excellent godfather Harry."

"That means a lot Hermione." He grinned at her and she smiled, still looking at Teddy.

Just then Teddy began fidgeting and woke up with a muffled cry. Hermione raised her eyebrow at him and he grinned and nodded his head. She reached down into the crib and picked Teddy up. He instantly calmed and giggled. His hair went from cool blue to a brown that matched Hermione's hair. Hermione held him in front of her and Harry could practically watch her heart melt at the sight of Teddy grinning up at her. He slid up next to her so he could watch Teddy over her shoulder.

"He looks like he could be yours." He grinned at her.

"Yeah." Her voice sounded oddly distant. "Except the eyes," she turned to look at him, "his father's eyes."

Something about the way she said it stirred something in him. "You know you're going to be an excellent mum."

"Thanks Harry." Her voice was back to normal and she gave him that smile that never failed to warm his heart. He turned back to Teddy and something slid into place in his consciousness. A little baby with brown hair and green eyes….he looked a lot like one of Hermione's kids if she married someone with green eyes.

 _Like me_.

He looked at Hermione again. The thought of getting married and having children with her was entirely new territory. There was something distinctly foreboding about it, but it had nothing to do with her. In fact, standing here with her in a nursery while she hummed a lullaby to a sleepy eyed baby seemed almost natural. But something about that bothered him too. There were too many things going through his mind to effectively pin any one of them down.

"Harry?" her voice brought him back to reality.

"Er…"

"You were staring." There was a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Yeah, sorry. Got a little lost there for a second." He felt heat rising up in his cheeks.

"That's alright." She gave him an oddly satisfied smile. "He's back to sleep now." She gently placed Teddy back in the crib and covered him with his blanket. "I should probably be going."

"Thanks for coming."

"No offense, but I really just came for Teddy. I couldn't let you get away with Mrs. Weasley being the only one to hold him." She teased.

"What can I say? I'm stingy with my godson." He teased back.

She laughed and smiled at him before turning out the door. He heard the front door open and close and knew that she was gone. He settled in to the rocking chair in the corner of the baby blue room to wait on Andromeda to return home. He had a lot to think about and he wanted to spend every second he could with his godson.


	24. Chapter 24

Harry's absence the previous day meant that Mrs. Weasley's party for the new Head Boy, Head Girl, and Prefect (she insisted the Lovegoods come to celebrate with them) was now in full swing just two days before their Hogwarts return.

Harry had walked into breakfast that morning to find everyone's eyes on him with expectant looks on their faces.

"Er…what?"

"Your Hogwarts letter came yesterday." Ginny offered it to him. It seemed heavier than it should have been. Surely they didn't make him quidditch captain when he specifically told McGonagall….

A shiny gold badge with the letters "HB" fell into his hand. The whole table erupted into cheers. Mrs. Weasley caught him in a tight embrace, sobbing out how proud she was between pecks on the cheek. He felt his cheeks glowing red hot from all the attention.

"Alright mum, give him some air." George waved his wand and they were gently pushed apart. Mrs. Weasley glared at her son, but proceeded to pile Harry's plate with two helpings of everything.

"So who's Head Girl?" he asked as Ginny gave him a hug and kiss of her own. He had asked the entire table but was looking at Hermione. She broke into a bright smile. "Of course. It couldn't have been anyone else. Congratulations Hermione."

She left her seat and flew to him to crush him in a hug, unceremoniously dislodging Ginny. Ron snickered but Ginny looked murderous and cleared her throat rather loudly.

Hermione awkwardly cleared her own throat and returned to her seat, her cheeks a rosy pink.

Mrs. Weasley had pulled out all the stops to decorate the back yard and had even enlisted a shocked George to add his own touch. He of course responded with tiki torches that zapped people's hair into standing on end if they got too close and half his stock of fireworks.

Despite Harry and Hermione's pleas to keep it a simple affair, Mrs. Weasley simply wouldn't have it and it seemed like everyone they had ever met was there. All of the remaining Order members were present including Minister Shacklebolt, most of their teachers had come, the entirety of their remaining Gryffindor class mates as well as most of Ginny's year (now their current classmates) had shown up, Hermione's parents had come via a special floo connection, and even Dudley Dursley had come.

"Dudley?" a shocked Harry had spluttered.

"Yeah, I wanted to come and….er….congratulate you." Dudley looked somewhat frightened and nervous, but resolutely put his hand out to shake Harry's. Harry had returned the gesture and a small smile escaped onto both their faces. Mrs. Weasley then showed a suddenly giddy Dudley over to the food table.

Once he had discovered that wizarding food didn't have any repercussions to eating it, Dudley had looked much more at ease the rest of the evening. He even laughed when a tiki torch sent his hair standing on end, making him look like he had touched a light pole.

But the real surprise had come later.

"Potter."

Harry and Ginny had been deep in conversation about what the Head dorms would look like when a drawling voice behind him made him stand and turn in one fluid motion. Standing in front of him was Draco Malfoy.

"What are you doing here?" Harry didn't even try to hide the dislike in his voice. The party had gone quiet around them as everyone waited to see what was going to happen.

"Granger insisted I come. Sent an owl that wouldn't quit following me around and knocking over everything in sight until I said I would be here."

He looked quite uncomfortable and somehow seemed smaller without the hulking presence of his minions behind him. Hermione came rushing up behind Draco.

"Harry I did invite him."

Ron and Ginny both looked flabbergasted, McGonagall was looking more hawkish by the second and most of the order had discreetly drawn their wands.

"Oh would everyone relax." Hermione flustered. No one moved. "This is exactly why I invited him over. Like it or not, Draco is returning to Hogwarts too and the sooner we can get the animosity out of our systems the better we'll be in the long run."

"You can't seriously expect us to be chummy with this slimy git." Ron gestured at Malfoy who paled and clenched his fist but didn't reach for his wand.

The tension in the air was thick and getting thicker before Hermione spoke again. "Look, Harry said it himself that Narcissa lied to keep him alive. Both he and his parents deserted Voldemort. I don't expect anyone to be "chummy", but we can at least co-exist without drawing wands and hexing each other."

Harry looked into Malfoy's face, the same face that had sneered at him and done everything to make his life miserable for six years. But it was also the same face that had refused to kill, even for his parents' sake, and had shown no desire to see them all killed at Malfoy Manor. He remembered something Sirius had told him once: "the world is not split into good people and Death Eaters." While Draco had never been a good person, he'd never been much of a Death Eater either.

Harry held out his hand to shake. A brief look of genuine surprise flashed across Draco's face before he could stop it. Fixing his face into a more dignified mask, Draco reached out and they briefly shook hands.

Without another word Draco turned and walked away, not stopping until he hit the gate and disapparated.

The party slowly recommenced around the table of honor. Ron was still glaring at where Draco had been standing while Ginny and Hermione were both watching Harry. Harry finally sighed, turning to Ginny and giving her a small smile. The mood at the table instantly lightened and Harry braced himself to ask Ginny something he knew he would have to before the night was over.

"Ginny, care to dance?" he reached his hand out to her. She grinned at him and took his hand, wordlessly leading him onto the dance floor.

It wasn't as bad as he would have thought. He tried to copy what he saw the other people on the dance floor doing and after a song or two he thought he had the hang of it.

"Harry, are you becoming a dancer?" Ginny teased as the music slowed.

"Where's a dark lord distraction when you need it?" Harry mumbled, but couldn't hide his grin. He actually was having a good time. He casually searched the crowd for Hermione and saw her dancing a short ways away with Ron. She was wearing a simple and conservative periwinkle blue dress with her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She had obviously used her Sleekeazy hair potion again. They seemed to be deep in conversation. He felt curiosity peak at what they might be discussing.

He felt a small jolt in his stomach thinking that maybe they were reconciling their differences. For some reason the thought disquieted him, but if they were happy then that was all Harry could really ask for.

"Harry, I'm over here." Ginny gently turned his chin back towards her, inches away from his face.

"So I see." He grinned and gently pressed his lips to hers.

* * *

"Care to dance 'Mione?" Hermione briefly shook her head free from the reverie she had been in. Ron was standing in front of her, hand outstretched with a goofy grin on his face. It made her laugh to see it. He looked so at ease and so confidant, so unlike the Ron she had seen for so many years.

"Sure Ron." She took his hand and let him lead her to an open spot on the dance floor. They spent a couple of songs enjoying the moment and just being the young and foolish teenagers they had rarely gotten the chance to be. It was so freeing to be able to cut loose without fear of letting your guard down.

"This is fun." She said between heavy breaths.

"Yeah, much more fun than I had before on the dance floor." Ron was breathing as heavy as she was. The music slowed down and they drew into a close embrace. Hermione was surprised that it didn't bother her at all to dance with Ron like this.

"Easier to enjoy when it's just between friends isn't it?" Ron was smiling at her.

"Much easier." She smiled back. She scanned the crowd and saw Harry dancing with Ginny, grinning from ear to ear and clearly enjoying himself. He was wearing black dress pants with a Gryffindor red button front shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a black tie. She breathed out a small sigh.

"What's different between you two?" Ron broke her gaze by lightly dipping her and bringing her back up.

"Me and Harry? Nothing at all."

Crap. This was not the person to have this conversation with.

"Come on Hermione cut the crap. I've seen the way you look at him, the way your eyes follow him out the room, and that weird thing you do where you ruffle his hair. Something is up."

She felt the heat rising in her cheeks. There really wasn't any way around it. She hadn't been hiding it nearly as well as she would have liked.

"Hermione, you're my friend. I just want to know so I can help. That's all." He said it with such gentleness and sincerity that Hermione couldn't tell him no.

"We…" she wasn't really sure where to begin, "we started becoming much closer, during the war and afterwards, and I guess somewhere along the line I realized…"

"That you love him." He finished for her.

"Yes." Hermione felt like a massive weight was taken off her to finally admit out loud what she had known for some time now.

"Well, if it's any consolation, he just stopped dancing to look around for you." Ron chuckled as he said it. Hermione turned around to where Harry was, but he had already turned back to Ginny and now they were kissing.

"Yeah, and now they're doing that." She couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice. She sighed, "I'm sorry, she's my best girlfriend and your sister, and I know I'm supposed to be happy for her. I was at first, but…"

They swayed on the spot in silence for a moment. She could see the gears turning in Ron's mind.

"I'm sorry Ron, I really shouldn't be talking to you about this. I shouldn't feel this way at all. I…"

Ron put a finger on her lips. "Hermione, just shush okay. I'm not mad, well…" he shrugged, "at least not as mad as I would have thought I'd be, about any of it."

"She's your sister Ron and he's your best friend."

"I know, and I don't want you to do anything to mess it up for them. Not that I think you would." He added hastily when she sent daggers at him with her eyes. "But I also understand that you can't always control who you fall in love with."

"How long have you known?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Hermione gulped at his words. He may have been her friend and she knew he wanted to help, but their past could really make this awkward. "Look, forget about what happened between us. Just tell the truth, I promise I just want to help."

Somewhere inside her she knew he was telling the truth. "I'm not really sure; it feels like I've loved him all along. Maybe I have. But I didn't realize it until I brought him back from Godric's Hollow." She shuddered; nothing about the memory was pleasant. "When I was sitting over him for hours on end, praying that he would wake up from whatever nightmare he was having….praying that I had done enough to save him…..I was so scared, so scared that he wouldn't wake up."

Ron simply nodded grimly. "When did you know?" she asked again.

"Honestly? That moment on the staircase at Hogwarts."

Hermione felt tears building behind her eyes. "Ron, you know if it had been different…..if it was you instead of him…."

"I know," Ron sighed, "but it's different with him and you know it. I've watched you two for years Hermione. You can't sit here and tell me that you haven't always had a special connection with him. Something that you never had with me."

She didn't bother denying it. It wouldn't have done her any good. He was right and he knew it.

What a mess. She had fallen in love with her best friend who was already in a relationship with someone she thought of as a sister, who _was_ the sister of her other best friend. There were way too many ways this could go wrong.

She let out a long breath. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Well, for starters we're going to cut a rug until I can't feel my legs anymore. We'll worry about the rest later whaddya say to that?" he spun her around as the music shifted again to an up-tempo big band number.

She couldn't help but laugh at that stupid grin on his face and how ridiculous he was being. _This_ was her Ron, making her laugh when all she really wanted to do was cry.

They did indeed dance until the band played their final tune. Most of the party goers had already gone home. Some had come by to wish her congratulations or say goodbye, but most had left her and Ron to their dancing.

They finally collapsed onto either side of the couch in the living room. Both thoroughly exhausted but they had had the time of their lives. Hermione had never felt so young.

"Did you see Luna when that tiki torch got her?"

Ron laughed, "Yeah, she looked absolutely ridiculous." They both dissolved into fits of laughter. Maybe it was because they were so tired or the lingering after effects of the dancing but they both laughed until they were literally rolling on the floor.

When they both recovered they sat on the floor and leaned against the couch next to each other. She looked to see a concerned look on his face and knew it was time to continue the discussion they had tabled during the party.

"There's nothing for it Ron, I'm just going to have to get over it. There's too many ways that too many people can get hurt. He's with Ginny, I have to accept that."

She wasn't sure why she thought things had changed between them enough that he would simply agree with her. She swore he did it sometimes just for the fun of it.

"It's not that simple Hermione. He's your best friend and Head Boy, you really think as much as you see of him that you're going to just drop the way you feel about him and pretend it never happened?"

Why couldn't he ever just let her say her piece and leave it at that? It drove her crazy, especially because she knew he was right.

"If that's what it takes, then I think I'm more than up to the challenge." She huffed, standing up to walk to the room she shared with Ginny.

"You can't do it Hermione." Ron called after her.

"We'll just see about that Ronald Weasley." She snapped back.

"Yeah," he actually had the nerve to chuckle at her, "I suppose we will."

There was no way in hell she would ever admit to him how right he was going to be.


	25. Chapter 25

It was altogether fitting to Harry that their last trip to King's Cross was perhaps the most chaotic one ever.

It all started the night before when, instead of finishing their packing like they should have, Ron managed to persuade Harry and George into sneaking off to the local muggle pub. It was called the River Road Inn and they quickly took a liking to muggle beer. So much so in fact that they stayed out far later than they initially planned. It wasn't until Ron was going overboard on the magic to impress a local girl and George started dancing to a drinking tune sung by every male in the house that Harry finally got the idea in his foggy mind to leave.

They had stumbled in around four in the morning and it seemed like he had barely closed his eyes when Mrs. Weasley's shrill voice came drifting up the stairs to wake them up. They had naturally overslept and what was more, they still hadn't finished packing.

Their heads pounding, Harry tried a spell he had seen Tonks use to pack his trunk years before, but instead of putting his things into his trunk, it simply sent them flying across the room towards Ron who was whacked unceremoniously on his head by Harry's telescope.

"Sorry mate." He groaned.

"Merlin, my head." Ron moaned from his bed.

It was right at that moment that Mrs. Weasley had entered, screamed at them for going out the night before, and finally waved her own wand to send their things neatly into their trunks herself.

"How does she always know?" Ron was holding his head like it would fall off if he let go as they made their way downstairs. "Did she really have to shout so much?"

"Well she was right you know." Hermione chimed in from the base of the stairs.

"Oh sod off." Ron grumbled.

"Good morning to you too Ronald." She replied rather loudly right into his ear, smiling smugly at his groan of complaint.

Breakfast hadn't been much better. In her rush to prepare everything Mrs. Weasley gave them all plates piled high with one breakfast item instead of helpings of everything. So they all passed around their plates like a weird game of musical chairs so that everyone got their fill of the different courses.

Right when it seemed all would be settled George, rather hung over in his own right, aparrated straight onto the table, breaking it clean in two and sending food flying everywhere. By the time George had repaired the table, Mrs. Weasley had finished a fresh round of screaming, and they had all finished cleaning the food off of them it was time to get everything loaded into a ministry car that Kingsley had sent to pick them up. This would have gone smoothly had Ron not accidentally taken out Ginny's legs when he tried to load it with magic and Harry had had to get involved to keep it from erupting into a duel.

Finally they were all in the car and headed to King's Cross, everyone a little cross with each other but none the worse for wear. In the time spent in the car, everyone's mood lightened to the point that they were all quite jovial and excited by the time they reached King's Cross.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at all, at least until they crossed the magical barrier and entered platform nine and three-quarters.

Pure mayhem erupted at the sight of Harry Potter on the platform. He was immediately swamped by witches and wizards, who wanted to shake his hand, have him sign their books, and one woman was insistent that he kiss her baby girl.

They made no progress at all towards the train until Ron, Hermione, Luna, and Ginny worked together to make their way towards a compartment, using a combination of trunk trollies and wands to gently (or not so gently) force people aside. By the time they finally reached the train they tumbled into the first empty compartment they could find and collapsed into their seats breathing very heavily and feeling like they had run a marathon.

"Blimey Harry, it's all well and good that this is your last year." Ron huffed.

"Harry, your hair is all..." Hermione reached across to attempt to flatten his hair, which was distinctly disheveled from all the people who had ruffled it. Ginny glared at her until Hermione gave it up for a bad job.

"Wait a moment; aren't we supposed to be somewhere?" Harry inquired, bringing out his Head Boy badge and fingering it before pinning it to his shirt.

"Oh! Right, we're supposed to be in the Prefect carriage." Hermione answered as she stood up, pinning her Head Girl badge to her shirt. "You two had better come with us, Prefects are supposed to be there too." She motioned to Ron and Luna. Ron grumbled under his breath while Luna exited the compartment ahead of them, humming to herself.

"I guess I'll save the compartment for you guys. Don't take too long." Ginny called out from behind them as the compartment door shut.

All down the train people were poking their heads out of their compartments to get a look at Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Most didn't bother to lower their voices as they spoke in awe of what the three of them had accomplished the previous year. Those who already knew them waved to them and greeted them jovially, particularly those who had been DA members.

"What exactly are we supposed to do when we get there?" Harry had no idea what exactly the Head Boy did. Percy had strolled around making himself sound and look important, but then he always did that.

"Well, I think for today we're just supposed to meet the new Prefects and introduce ourselves. I think later we're supposed to organize Prefect patrols and school functions, I know the Head Boy and Girl helped organize the Yule Ball for instance." Hermione's voice was positively quivering with anticipation.

"Well I don't think you have to worry about introducing yourselves." Ron pointed to yet another compartment where some very young looking students had all poked their heads out to see the famous trio. They all shared a laugh as they came upon the Prefect carriage and strolled in.

Harry had never been in this carriage before and he was briefly taken by surprise. Instead of the cordoned off compartments of the other carriages, the Prefect carriage was furnished much like a very large and luxurious sitting room. There were comfortable looking couches spread in a row down the middle and along the walls , the floor was a plush carpet and there was even a chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

The chatter in the room rose in pitch and volume as they walked the length of the room to the only couch left at the front of the carriage.

"I think everyone is here, might as well get on with it and get it over with." Ron had been scanning the room, his head bobbing as if he was counting.

"The food cart doesn't start its rounds for a while yet Ronald." Luna dreamily replied, prompting a round of laughter from Harry and Hermione. Ron simply smiled.

Hermione then cleared her throat and amazingly the entire carriage came to a dead silence. Everyone in the room was looking with rapt attention at Harry and Hermione. Harry felt heat creeping up his neck.

"So then, now that we're all here let's get down to business. I'm Hermione Granger, I'm the new Head Girl and this is Harry Potter our new Head Boy." A smattering of applause greeted her words. "Now, for our new Prefects…"

Hermione launched into explaining the duties and responsibilities of a Prefect. Most of the old hands looked bored, while the newer Prefects were drinking in every word. Harry had to hand it to her, she was thorough.

"Any questions?" she finally finished.

"When will we meet again to schedule patrols?" Luna asked. Hermione seemed to have forgotten Luna was behind her and jumped slightly at the sound of her voice prompting a few snickers from the other Prefects.

"Oh, I was thinking we could meet a week from tomorrow. So next Monday before dinner. Harry and I will take the first week of patrols."

With that question answered everyone started chatting idly amongst themselves again, a few people making their way back to the main compartments to find their friends. Harry, Hermione, Ron and Luna all left to rejoin Ginny in their own compartment. Before they had quite made it out the door Ron tripped on something and fell quite ungracefully onto the floor.

"Better watch where you put those clunkers Ron." Harry chuckled. Ron came up cursing, that is until a very pretty girl with silky light brown hair and bright blue eyes that were round with embarrassment stood up.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't do it on purpose!" She was sputtering.

"It's…it's alright." Ron's voice was oddly quiet and his eyes had gone wide too. Neither he nor the girl said anything for an awkward moment before Hermione came to the rescue.

"What's your name?" Hermione asked sweetly, a broad grin on her face.

"Aubrey. Aubrey Anne Peacock." Aubrey replied shyly. "I'm the new Hufflepuff Prefect." She had a heart shaped face with prominent, but cute dimples to either side of her smile.

"Aubrey." Ron repeated dumbly. Aubrey giggled.

"Well the man who has lost the ability to speak intelligibly is Ronald Weasley." Harry supplied, stifling his own laughter.

"Hi." Ron managed a weak wave.

"Well we'll let you get back to your friend there." Hermione grabbed Harry and Ron and pulled them into the next carriage followed by a laughing Luna. Ron strangled out a very weak "Bye" as the door shut.

They all took turns laughing at the vacant expression on Ron's face until they rejoined a disgruntled looking Ginny.

"About time you guys came back. I nearly had to hex a group of Ravenclaw girls who wanted to take over." She greeted Harry with a light kiss and her mood seemed to lighten now that he was sitting beside her. Harry felt a wave of pride wash over him knowing that being with him made her happy.

"Sorry we were late, Ron here tripped over a girl's foot." Harry chuckled. "Then his brain jammed up good and tight when he got one look at her."

"Did not." Ron mumbled, his face turning the same color as his hair.

"Could have been a Nargle." Luna supplied helpfully to a fresh round of laughter.

"Just admit it; you were right done in by the sight of her." Hermione teased.

"Just drop it alright?" Ron whined, blushing madly.

"Okay lover boy." Ginny sighed.

They passed the rest of the train ride with games of Exploding Snap and trading Chocolate Frog cards until the train finally slowed and came to a halt in Hogsmeade station. Harry strained his ears as they stepped off and was greeted with the booming call of "Firs' years! This way! Firs' years to me!"

"Hagrid!" Harry waved to the man who had been his first contact with the wizarding world. Hagrid waved back cheerfully.

Content to catch up with him later, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, and Ginny all found their way to an open carriage. Harry noticed that Ron, Hermione, and Ginny's gazes all lingered between the shafts at the front of the carriage. He knew that they were looking at the pair of Thestrals that they could now see harnessed and ready to pull them through the gates.

"Come on guys, let's go." He gently pushed Ron and Hermione in before wrapping his arms around Ginny and pulling her in with him. The door shut behind them and they made their bumpy way to the castle in subdued conversation. Seeing the Thestrals had briefly stifled the light mood they had been in all day.

Their moods were soon to be lifted though when they entered the Great Hall to a thunderous round of applause that had started at the staff table and swept through the student body that had all risen to their feet. Everyone except a very sullen looking Draco Malfoy, who was seated alone at the far end of the Slytherin table.

Once everyone had taken their seats again and the noise level began to rise, Luna made her way to the Ravenclaw table while the rest of them found seats among the Gryffindor's.

They had just settled in when Professor Sprout lead in a line of scared looking first years. Harry watched as each was sorted, and clapped with his housemates as Gryffindor welcomed its newest additions. Eight first years rounded out the now full table.

Headmistress McGonagall then rose to her feet and the din of the Great Hall died almost instantly.

"Greetings students, welcome to another year at Hogwarts. The past year was not kind to the castle, but I think you will find that our renovations have made Hogwarts better than ever." A round of applause broke out and quickly died down. "We welcome a new staff member, Professor McClellan, who will be taking the Defense Against the Dark Arts position."

A dark skinned and stocky wizard stood up to the right of McGonagall to a smattering of applause.

"Now, I believe it is time for some nourishment. Tuck in!"

And just like that the glorious feast began. How he had ever lived without the wonderful food of the Hogwarts kitchens was simply beyond Harry. He split his time between enjoying the food and getting to know his fellow seventh years.

"Hey, where's Neville?" Harry turned and asked Ginny.

"Oh, he's over at the Hufflepuff table with Hannah Abbot. They started dating over the summer."

Harry scanned the Hufflepuff table and found him indeed sitting next to Hannah with a huge grin on his face, she had obviously just said something rather amusing. Harry smiled, he was happy his friend had found someone who appreciated him.

McGonagall gave a rather short speech that gratefully didn't include any mention of Harry before dismissing them all to bed.

"Harry, you should probably come with me and Ron, guide the first years." Hermione grabbed him before he could make it out the door.

"Oh, right, I'll see you Ginny." He gave her a quick kiss, but didn't miss the disgruntled look on her face.

Once all the first years were safely in their dormitories Ron turned with a very animated expression on his face. "Let's go see the Head dorms!"

"Oh, I nearly forgot we weren't in here." Harry grinned in response. "Where are they?"

"Did you even read your letter?" Hermione may have sounded exasperated, but even she was smiling. "They're on the fifth floor, near the Prefect bathroom."

"At least we're not across the whole castle from each other." Ron gave Harry a light punch in the arm.

"Hey, you're welcome anytime mate." Harry replied with his own punch.

" _Boys_." Hermione breathed.

They raced each other to the third door on the right on the fifth floor. Ron slightly beating Harry and Hermione.

"What's…what's the password?" Ron huffed between breaths.

Hermione gave Harry a grin. "Padfoot."

The polished black wood door swung open to reveal a plush sitting room decorated entirely in Gryffindor House colors. "They always use colors from the Head's Houses, since we're both Gryffindor's it was a simple matter." Hermione stated matter-of-factly.

"This is nice; you get this all to yourselves." Ron ran his hands over the silky couch that sat in front of the fire.

"Are those our rooms?" Harry pointed to the two black doors on either side. One had the letters "HB", the other "HG".

"Yes. Let's see what we have." Hermione strolled over to the Head Boy room and opened the door, letting out a small gasp.

The room was a square shaped room with a four poster bed much like from his old dorm, but along the walls were shelves that were lined with pictures and trophies. The pictures were all of the three of them, except for one picture of him and Ginny beneath their favorite beech tree on the grounds. The trophies were relics of his past adventures: the Tri-Wizard Cup and his Award for Special Services to the School the most notable ones, but even the Quidditch and House cups were here and there was a special mount on the wall where his Firebolt hung.

"They must have moved them from the trophy room. Oh, Harry look!" Hermione pointed to a cabinet in the back left corner of the room. In it were more trophies and plaques, but these bore the names of Harry's parents. There were two more Special Services awards, one each for Lily and James, as well as a Potions Excellence award for Lily and a Transfiguration Excellence award for James. In front of all these and featured prominently was a copy of their wedding photo, the occupants waving happily to the three of them.

Harry took it all in. McGonagall had put a lot of thought into his room; he would have to thank her later. "Let's go see yours Hermione."

They bounded across the common room and Hermione flung open her door before clapping her hands over her mouth.

"Sooo predictable." Ron laughed and then flinched when Hermione smacked him on the arm. The walls of her room were almost entirely covered with books and there was a desk in the corner that had a very comfortable looking chair paired with it.

Hermione was already running her hands along the bookshelves, whispering the titles that crossed her gaze.

"Well I'm going to make my way back to the Tower. I'll see you guys at breakfast." Ron took his leave and bounded out the door.

Hermione was still looking through all the books on her shelves. Harry sat on the end of her bed and started scratching Crookshanks who had sauntered in.

"McGonagall went all out for us didn't she?"

"Yes, she did." Hermione finally turned around and sat next to him on the bed. "We'll have to do something special to thank her."

"We'll think of something." Harry smiled at her. "Well my bed is calling my name. I'll see you in the morning Hermione."

When he stood up to go, Hermione stood up rather quickly next to him which caught his attention. He turned towards her to ask what was wrong but was met instead by her lips awkwardly crashing into his.

They stood rooted to the spot with their faces only inches apart, stunned at the turn of events. He could feel himself blushing furiously and Hermione's cheeks were a deep pink color. He had never been this close to her before, he could smell her hair which had a very pleasant coconut scent and saw that there were tiny flecks of gold in her deep brown eyes. She had placed her hands on his chest for balance and beneath her touch he felt like he was on fire.

"H-Hermione?" his voice came out deeper and huskier than he remembered it being.

"Harry, I'm sorry I….I only meant to kiss you on the cheek but you turned…." She took her hands off his chest and took a step backwards. Harry felt slightly dizzy.

They stood there transfixed at one another, neither of them having a clue what to say.

"I…er…." Harry tried desperately to get his brain to work, but it had completely abandoned him.

"I'm sorry Harry. It was just a simple mistake." Her voice was shaky.

"Yeah….right…a mistake."

 _But if it's a mistake, then why can't I stop thinking about how soft her lips are?_

Shutting down that part of his brain, Harry forced himself to smile at Hermione. She smiled back, but there was something off about it. It didn't quite reach her eyes.

 _Those beautiful brown eyes._

He seriously considered trying his hardest to aparrate somewhere, anywhere where he could just think straight for two seconds.

His heart hammering against his chest, he finally managed to strangle out "Goodnight Hermione." before turning and walking across to his room, leaving a very teary eyed Hermione in his wake.


	26. Chapter 26

It had been three days since Hermione had accidentally kissed him and Harry was just now getting his thoughts into some semblance of order.

Classes had started right away, so he had been forced to put his brain to work on something other than the giant elephant in the room between himself and his best friend. He spent most of his free time that he wasn't doing homework trying to sort through why exactly a harmless accident had turned his mind into a circus.

It bothered him that he had been so affected by it. It had been hard to get the feeling of her soft lips against his out of his brain, no matter how hard he tried. It made being around Hermione awkward, which was a feeling he had never before associated with her. Hermione and Ron both had always been his comfort zone, the one place he always felt sure of himself. Now the sight of her bushy hair sent his stomach into his throat. The worst part was that he wasn't even sure why.

"Well, have you ever thought about kissing her before?" Ron asked during a private chess match in Harry's bedroom.

"You really want me to answer that?" he gave his friend a skeptical look. He didn't want to tread on sensitive territory.

"Yeah, come on. Me and Hermione are ancient history now, you can tell me." Ron's knight began pummeling one of Harry's pawns.

"There was once, it was when we were in the tent after you had gone. The radio was on and this song came on, I was being stupid and we started dancing. I just wanted to see her smile. When the music ended, we were standing there….and it was only for a moment….but it was just us, I thought about it."

"Then what?"

"Well, nothing happened. We went back to business as usual, until we went to Godric's Hollow." For some reason the mention of his parents' home made the corners of Ron's lips twitch just enough for Harry to catch it. "What?" Harry gave his friend a questioning look.

"It's nothing Harry. Why don't you just talk to her about it? What's the worst that could happen?"

"I know I need to talk to her about it." Harry added lamely. "I just lose my nerve every time I try."

"What exactly are you afraid of?"

"I guess I'm just afraid to make it worse."

"Harry, don't you know you can trust her by now?"

"Of course I do."

"Then trust her. Trust that she wants to sort this out just like you. _I_ think you're blowing this a bit out of proportion. Both of you really. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time."

"Come on Ron, it was a kiss! With Hermione! While I'm with your sister at that!"

"An accident Harry. Unless there's something about this you're not telling me, then it's a simple accident. No harm, no foul."

"Alright, alright then." Harry was getting frustrated by the conversation and the fact that Ron didn't seem to understand that it wasn't just a simple accident. He had crossed a line he had never thought he'd cross with Hermione, and even if it hadn't been on purpose it still shook up the existing order of things. But Ron was right about one thing, he needed to talk to Hermione.

"Look, I've already talked to her and got her side of the story and I'm telling you: just go talk to her. I'm positive if you took five minutes you both could be passed this and stop being so bloody awkward." Ron was grinning as his bishop cornered Harry's king to end the game. Harry knocked his king over as he pulled out the Marauder's Map to see where Hermione was. She wasn't in her dorm or the library; she was in what appeared to be an empty classroom on the third floor. Except Harry knew better, he had been through a trap door in that particular room over seven years before.

"What's she doing there?" he asked out loud.

"Where?" Ron asked, placing the chessboard in its case.

"Third floor, the room where the Sorcerer's Stone was."

"Weird, maybe you can go play hero one more time if Fluffy is renting again." Ron laughed.

"Shut it." But Harry was laughing too. "By the way, you talked to that girl from the train yet? What was her name? Ashley?"

"Aubrey." Ron corrected, his ears turning red.

"And here I thought you hadn't been paying attention." Harry playfully shoved him. It made him feel wonderfully young to be taking the mickey from Ron over a girl.

"Yeah I have actually; she'll be joining us at the Gryffindor table for dinner tonight." Ron mumbled.

"Really? I'll have to tell Gin, we can tell her all about that Pygmy Puff tattoo of yours." Harry started laughing, Ron flushing the color of beets.

"That's not funny! People actually believed that!"

"Consider it payback for being over-protective with Gin back in sixth year." Harry clapped him on the back. "Well I'm going to go find Hermione, good luck mate."

"Same to you."

Harry suddenly felt a lot better about talking to Hermione. Talking with Ron had put him in a cheerful mood and the thought that he was only a few minutes away from straightening everything out made his heart soar. Everything would be back to normal.

 _Except those lips. Those aren't going anywhere. And the smell of coconut. Why does she smell like coconut?_

* * *

Hermione wasn't sure what had brought her here. She had been on autopilot when she went looking for some solitude. She had expected her brain to take her to her favorite privacy haunts in the library or Prefect bathroom but surprisingly it took her to a door on the third floor corridor that she had passed through only twice in her Hogwarts career: Once to escape Filch and once to stop a corrupt teacher from stealing the Sorcerer's Stone.

It was, after all, a place nobody ever ventured to. It had never been put to use after the Stone had been destroyed and so students never made any use of it, especially because of the legends that surrounded it based on the handed down stories of her, Harry, and Ron's exploits.

Her feet had walked her here, but she had reason to believe there was some magic in the castle that prodded her because she had been surprised to find that it was not entirely empty.

There was a large mirror against the back wall with strange words written across the top. But it was when she looked in the mirror that she had received the real surprise. She had simply stared at it, her heart fit to burst with longing and sadness. She had settled onto the floor with her legs crossed and was content to simply look, completely losing track of time.

She knew what this was, the boys had both told her at different times about this mirror. It was the Mirror of Erised. Of course, she was the one who had pointed out that "Erised" was "Desire" spelled backwards, but that was academic. This was her first time seeing the mirror for herself and now she understood what could be so intoxicating about it.

"Hard to turn away isn't it?" a quiet voice came from beside her. Harry was taking a seat next to her.

She wasn't sure if she was pleased they were going to talk about this, or terrified by where that conversation might lead.

They sat in silence for a few moments, Hermione not breaking her gaze from the mirror and Harry not breaking his gaze on her.

"You know we can't keep dodging this forever." Harry broke the silence quietly.

He was right of course. She had been distancing herself during classes and at the table in the Great Hall for three days now. Head patrols had been the worst. At first she had tried to nervously fill the time with idle banter or by going on long diatribes about their homework, but they all eventually ended in incredibly awkward silences.

"I know." She answered simply. She couldn't bring herself to take the first step, so she waited for Harry to say something.

"Was….it _was_ just an accident….right?" Harry asked, nervously running his hand through his hair.

"Yeah." Her voice sounded like it was very far away from where she sat. "Yeah, I was just going to kiss you goodnight, on the cheek, like always."

"Like always." Harry repeated, a strange note to his voice.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. It was just an accident." Harry cut her off. "I'm sorry that I rushed out. We could have talked about it then and avoided having the most awkward three days of our lives."

They both laughed but it was quickly stifled.

"Can I ask you something?" Harry blurted out.

"Of course Harry." Hermione felt herself tremble slightly, an unease that she never remembered feeling around Harry filling her chest.

"If…." He took a breath, "If it was just an accident and it doesn't really mean anything….then why did you and I both freak out about it?"

Bless him. Harry could be so lovably naïve. Of course she knew why it freaked her out. Her best friend in the entire world, the one she had been slowly falling in love with for months now had kissed her. It may have been an accident, but the softness of his lips and the bolt of lightning that had shot down her spine had been impossible to forget.

Not only that, but the fact that it had freaked _him_ out had sent a wave of hope crashing over her that had nearly swept her off her feet. Hope that maybe, incredibly, he was feeling the same way she was. Hope that it had affected him the same way it had affected her.

Hermione shoved those things forcibly to the back of her mind and set the more logical parts of her brain into motion.

"I'm sure that it was because it was something we've never experienced before, between the two of us, something we never would have thought would happen given our romantic interest, or lack thereof in each other."

There was at least some truth to that. The part about not having experienced it was true at least, even if that was certainly not what made her blood hum at the very memory of that little kiss. She could see the wheels turning in Harry's mind. She had never told him before how adorable he looked when he was thinking really hard about something.

"Maybe." His voice was full of skepticism. "It _does_ feel like we crossed some sort of line." He was looking right into her eyes now and for the first time in her life she was using every ounce of her willpower not to let him really _see_ her. Their innate understanding of each other had always been a source of comfort in the past, but now it made her feel like she was dangling over a ledge.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. As usual." He laughed and flashed her that stupid grin of his, that grin that made him look so very much like his father. She felt a wave of relief wash over her that was strangled in the next instant by sadness. Only Harry could make her emotions veer so wildly back and forth.

"So what do you see?" He asked, looking towards the mirror.

 _Right. Forgot about that_

"Er…" she scrambled to put her brain into overdrive. "I see us. You, me, and Ron. We're happy, whole, and ready to make the world a better place." She placed a smile on her face, "Just like we are now."

"Well, we could always start by making you Minister of Magic in a few years." Harry teased, playfully nudging her with his shoulder.

"How about we put you in charge of the Auror office first?" she teased back, pleased he accepted her half-truth. Sickened that she had lied to him. "Wouldn't want my security to be too lax."

"Oh for you? We'd make sure no one got within fifty feet." Harry flashed her that dumb grin again sending a flutter to her heart.

"What about you?" she countered.

"Only works one at a time." He replied simply. "Besides, I reckon it's not likely to change is it?"

"Actually, I think it very well could change over time. Our desires themselves often change after all." She was reminded forcefully of a time in the not too distant past where a very different image might have greeted her. "I think Dumbledore was wrong about the mirror."

"What, that it's not dangerous? He said people have sat and wasted away in front of it."

"No, not that part. I think he was wrong to say that the mirror doesn't give knowledge. I think, for someone who doesn't fully understand themselves, the mirror could be very informative indeed."

 _Easy for you to say isn't it?_

"Hmm, never thought of it that way. You're brilliant you know that?" she felt a blush creep up her cheeks.

"It never hurts to hear it." She gave him a genuine smile. He stood up to go and she stood up next to him, close enough that she could smell that clean, masculine smell that simply said _Harry_.

The few seconds they spent standing next to one another stretched themselves to impossible lengths until Hermione forgot completely where they were or what they had been talking about.

"Hermione?" Harry's voice cut through the haze enveloping her mind.

"Oh..er…what?" she tripped over her own words, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.

"I was just saying I'll see you in a while for dinner." He gave her a puzzled look, though she noticed a tinge of red in his cheeks too.

"Oh, yeah sure." She nodded her head, watching him go and letting her gaze linger on the shut door.

She turned her head to look one more time at the real image in the mirror. It was her, Harry, and Ron all right. Harry was in the middle with Ron on his left, arms around each other's shoulders and laughing. Harry had his other arm around Hermione's waist and turned to her every so often to plant a kiss on her lips. She had one arm around his waist and the other hand on his chest and looked positively radiant. They all looked like they were having the time of their lives.

A knot formed in Hermione's chest as she willed herself to look away. Dumbledore had been right about the dangers of the mirror, she could certainly understand the desire to simply stand here and waste the time away. But she wouldn't live for a vision in a mirror. She did have a very happy _and very real_ Ron and Harry that she had the distinct privilege of enjoying for the rest of her life Voldemort-free.

That was enough for her.

 _Knowledge? Maybe I was wrong after all. Real knowledge is knowing what you have and being grateful for it._ The logical part of her brain triumphantly proclaimed, only to be countered by a deeper and quieter voice that sent a very real shiver down her spine.

 _Books and cleverness? There are more important things…..friendship, bravery, and….._


	27. Chapter 27

The next few weeks went by without incident. Harry and Hermione settled easily into their pre-term friendship and any awkwardness between them had seemed to vanish. Still, being around Hermione left Harry with an odd feeling in his stomach that he couldn't explain away and he caught himself on a few occasions rather guiltily indulging in her company in the Head dorm instead of searching out Ginny.

A welcome addition to their trio had been Aubrey, the new Hufflepuff Prefect they had met on the Hogwarts Express. She had indeed joined them for dinner that night he found Hermione in front of the mirror and every night since then. Harry found she made quite enjoyable company: she made everyone laugh and had an easy grace about her that made everyone around her feel comfortable.

Granted, her entry into the group came with its fair share of hiccups. She had gotten into a pretty serious row with Hermione over the issue of Death Eater amnesty ("A dark wizard doesn't change his spots." Aubrey had rather smugly proclaimed. "And I suppose Severus Snape playing double agent for seventeen years isn't proof enough?" Hermione had countered.) And Hermione was also rather taken aback that Aubrey was more successful than she at getting Ron to study ("The key is to make it fun!" she had chimed as she explained the rules to a magical board game where she had replaced all the trivia cards with study questions to a fuming Hermione). Ginny on the other hand was crestfallen that Aubrey was the final nail in the Hermione/Ron coffin ("You'd think she hung the moon." She whispered into Harry's ear one night at the sight of Ron's eyes glued to Aubrey at dinner).

Harry had been forced to ignore her on several occasions due to her annoying habit of asking him to relive some of his early adventures that she had not been at school for ("Oh come on, can't you at least tell me how you managed to sneak a dragon out of the school without getting caught?" she had whined as Harry sped into the loo to wait her out).

However, she had finally proven herself to Harry when she caught a Slytherin sixth year trying to hex a Gryffindor student and produced a perfect shield charm so that the Slytherin (a nasty piece of work named Simon Daugherty) spent the next two days in the hospital wing with a rather itchy rash in a sensitive area.

So three had become four (five counting Ginny) and now Aubrey accompanied them almost everywhere. Ron certainly seemed to enjoy her company, he looked more confident than Harry had ever seen him, which made Ginny change her mind about the girl. Even Hermione had come around when Aubrey had proven herself useful in studying for Arithmancy. Ron had given her the passwords for Gryffindor tower and the Head common room so that she often times joined them there during study hours or on weekends. Conversely, more than once she had disappeared with Ron and Harry had spotted them on the Marauder's Map in the Hufflepuff common room close by the kitchens.

"It's rather cozy." Ron explained to Harry, "Rather like a large, earthen den of some sort."

"That would make sense, since their mascot is the badger." Hermione had chimed in.

"Right. It's surprisingly bright though, they have these windows that make it look like you're underneath a sunny meadow or something. Rather brilliant if you ask me." Ron continued, a lazy grin stretching across his face as a rosy cheeked Aubrey joined them for lunch.

As September slid into October, Harry for the first time contemplated the anniversary of his parent's deaths. He had never really thought about it before, but now that he had actually been to see them he wanted to do something meaningful. He became preoccupied with what exactly he wanted to do. As far as _who_ he wanted to go, Harry was putting that part off for the moment.

He knew he _should_ take Ginny. She was his girlfriend after all and he would eventually have to include her in these sorts of things, but there was something in Harry that fought that notion. He wasn't much for including people in his past. Whatever sorrow and pain was there he didn't want to burden anybody else with. Ron had always seemed to know the appropriate distance to keep and what subjects to avoid with Harry and for that he was grateful. Strange as it seemed, hindsight had told him he had even been a little grateful at the time that Ron wasn't there when he went to see his parents the first time. He hated to admit it, but somewhere deep down it bothered Harry that Ron so often took for granted the one thing he always had that Harry didn't: a family.

That left Hermione. She had been there with him before and had known exactly what to do without Harry even saying anything. It was that understanding that he wanted and needed. Hermione had it and Ginny didn't. It wasn't even Ginny's fault. She couldn't help it any more than Ron could that they came from such a large family. Still, he couldn't quite bring himself to ask either of them, unable or unwilling to make up his mind.

At last came the day before Halloween and Harry knew he couldn't put it off any longer. Unless he was going to go alone he had to ask the question that had been on his mind for weeks. It was while having chess match in the Gryffindor common room that he saw Hermione walking towards him with a concerned look that finally galvanized his decision in his mind.

"Hermione?" he asked, sharing an easy smile with her.

"Going to finally tell me what's been on your mind for the past few weeks?" she replied.

"Yeah…I wanted to know if, after the Halloween feast, you would go with me to Godric's Hollow?" uncertainty slipping into his voice on the last syllables.

Hermione's smile slid off her face and she furrowed her brow. "What about Ginny?"

He had been afraid of that. "You were the one there with me before." He answered simply.

She seemed to contemplate this for a moment. "I…of course I'll go Harry." Hermione's voice was quiet and her expression visibly softened.

"Thanks, Hermione." Harry gave her a soft smile that she didn't return. He watched her look for a moment like she wanted say something before she turned and walked to the portrait hole, his eyes following her out of sight.

"Yoo-hoo. Earth to Harry?"

"Oh…" he turned back to the game he had forgotten about, "sorry Jay. My move?"

"Yep, all you Brits get your head in the clouds when a pretty girl walks by or is it just you?" Jay gave him a wicked grin. He was an American transfer student with a lame sense of humor, when he spoke at all, but had been a superbly gifted flyer at quidditch tryouts. Utterly fearless, his antics on a broomstick scared even Harry. That was also why Harry liked him.

"Just me Jay, I'm utterly hopeless with women if you haven't heard."

They continued the game in amiable silence, Harry's mind drifting off to what Hermione had been about to say before she walked off.

* * *

Halloween started much earlier when you were Head Boy. Harry and Hermione had had to get up early to help place the decorations in the Great Hall with the teachers, long before the students rose from bed for breakfast. He was already tired by the time they finished and waited for Ron, Ginny and Aubrey to join them at the Gryffindor table.

"So, what exactly are we doing tonight?" Hermione asked, biting her lip nervously.

"I was thinking we would walk out passed the gates, apparate to the graveyard, spend a few moments with them, and then come back. Nothing extravagant, but I just wanted to do _something_." He felt uneasiness settle in his gut at the thought of seeing his parents again.

"Okay, Harry." Hermione's voice was quiet. It was just then that a yawning Ron and cheery Aubrey walked up and sat opposite them.

"Can you believe this girl?" Ron mumbled, "How can you be so cheery so early in the morning?" he gave Aubrey a bleary eyed glare.

"It's half eight Ron." Aubrey sighed, "Besides, don't you want to get up and actually do something? How is lying in bed any fun?"

Ron mumbled something discreetly to his toast that Aubrey didn't seem to catch. Harry grinned, he knew that Ron would never admit that he was just fine starting his day early if it meant time with Aubrey. As Aubrey and Hermione entered a deep discussion on their Arithmancy class for that afternoon, Ron leaned over his breakfast.

"So, are you going tonight?" Ron whispered.

"Yeah, I'm going. Not for long, just for a few minutes."

"I don't blame you mate." Ron moved his eyes discretely from Harry to Hermione and back to Harry.

"Yes." Harry answered to unvoiced question as Ron nodded solemnly. "Mate don't take it personal, I…"

"I didn't say anything Harry. I get it, I really do. You told me about last time remember?"

"The last time what?" Aubrey chimed in, her conversation with Hermione apparently over.

"Nothing, luv." Ron gave her a significant look and she instantly changed topics to quidditch, much to the annoyance of Hermione who had been looking at Harry like she wanted in on the conversation. Ginny arrived just in time to divert the conversation once again with her news of catching Neville and Hannah in one of the secret passageways on her way to breakfast.

The day seemed to fly by all too quickly for Harry. It seemed like one minute he was at breakfast, the next he was in potions learning to mix a dreamless sleep drought (easy when Hermione had learned to make it during the summer), and now he was sitting at the Feast and eating far less than he normally did.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked next to him.

"Yeah, I'm just a little pre-occupied is all." Ginny had a concerned look on her face. She had taken news of his plans better than he had thought she would, which he found out was because Ron had gotten to her first.

"Harry," she had sighed, "I…I understand. I'll admit I don't like it, but I get it." She had taken him by the hand. "Can you at least tell me that we can start working towards including me in these sorts of things? I know it will take some time, I just feel left out you know?"

He had told her that they would work on it and that he was grateful for her understanding. It had been a relief to not have an upset Ginny on his mind while he contemplated what he was about to do.

He looked up from his reverie to see Ron and Hermione both staring at him. "Do you want to go now Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Don't feel like we're keeping you here." Ron added. "Why don't you go on ahead? We'll be fine here."

Harry nodded and stood up, giving his friends a grateful farewell. Aubrey smiled and gave him a small wave, Ron nodded his head, and Ginny gave him a quick kiss.

Hermione and Harry walked together out the front door and across the grounds. Neither of them said anything, the sound of their feet on the ground the only noise apart from the breeze making its way through the trees. When they reached a spot just outside the front gate, Hermione took his arm and he aparrated them to a spot just outside the kissing gate they had passed through almost a year ago.

Her hand slid down into his and their fingers tangled as he felt his grip tighten. There was a small knot in his chest as they walked straight towards the tombstone, a cold breeze stirring the leaves around their feet.

They came to a stop in front of the stone, a tingling starting behind Harry's eyes. He was prepared this time and conjured a single white lily, placing it gently on the ground at the foot of the gravestone. He felt Hermione kneel next to him and she placed a single white rose next to Harry's lily.

He stayed kneeled there for a while, letting his hands trace the name "Potter". If he was honest with himself, he had spent his whole life not knowing precisely what the name meant or who he really was. Circumstance had always seemed to dictate who he was: orphan, wizard, or hero.

"Harry, I brought something else." Hermione's voice was quiet and raspy. There were fresh tears running down her cheeks. She produced a small, framed photograph. "I thought they should have a reminder of you."

She placed the photo behind the flowers and Harry felt his breath catch in his throat. It was a picture of the two of them with Ron, sitting by the fire of the common room. He recognized the scene, they had all been laughing at a story Ron had told about Aubrey.

He took her hand into his again, a gentle squeeze his thanks. He only needed to see Ron and Hermione's faces to be reminded of who he really was, not who others wanted him to be.

They stood for a moment, Harry fighting the silly urge to talk to them. To tell them all about the two people in the photo. How Ron made him laugh, beat him at chess, and talked quidditch. How Hermione always had the answer, cheered him on at his games, and told him when he was wrong. Then he remembered his mother's words in the forest

" _We never left."_

He couldn't tell them anything they didn't already know. He actually smiled at the thought.

Gently tugging at Hermione's hand, he led them out the kissing gate and into an empty side street. They walked in perfect unison, in no real hurry to get anywhere.

He disaparrates them back to the tall gates of Hogwarts. Their hands remained locked all the way through the abandoned grounds and corridors, keeping a leisurely pace until at last they reached their Head common room, the fire already low in the grate.

"Thanks." He says, finally releasing her hand.

"You're very welcome Harry. Are you okay?" her voice is tender and the embers of the fire reflect in the deep pools of her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm good." She takes a step towards him and he opens his arms to take her in, feeling his chest and ribs compress with the pressure she's applying. She takes a half step back, letting her hands take hold of the hem of his shirt while reaching up to plant a kiss on his cheek, letting her lips linger there longer than she always had before.

"Goodnight Harry."

"Goodnight Hermione." Her eyes linger on him until she's completely turned around. His eyes follow her until her bedroom door closes behind her.

Harry pulls out a photo album from underneath his bed. It was a birthday gift from Hermione, it contained all sorts of pictures of Harry, Ron, and her as well as some that included the twins, Neville, Ginny, or even Luna. Most of the pictures came from Colin Creevey and Hermione had written a short dedication to him in the front cover.

He flipped through the various pictures, stopping every once and awhile to relive a particularly enjoyable memory. He stops at a photo of just him and Hermione. It was from Christmas of his fifth year and she had insisted that he pose for a photo of just the two of them.

"Come on Harry! Just one! We need at least some proof that we can be friends without Ron." She laughed at Ron snorting butterbeer out of his nose.

"Alright, if you insist." Harry faked resignation in his voice as Hermione took him in a tight embrace, their cheeks touching as he feels both his and her faces stretch into grins.

They both indeed have broad grins in the picture. They both lean their heads back every so often to look at one another and laugh. The Christmas tree in the background flickers with the lights of real fairies.

He puts the photo album away and turns out the lights to get to sleep, but it is long into the night before the image of the photo leaves his eyes.


	28. Chapter 28

Hermione was studying in the library when a little memo, much like the ones from the Ministry of Magic, flew to her and unceremoniously landed in her ear.

 _Well, there goes my concentration, as well as hearing in my left ear._

The memo bore the Hogwarts crest instead of the Ministry seal and directed her to the Headmistress office.

Packing up her things, she made her way purposely to the stone gargoyle that guarded the passage to McGonagall's office, only stopping to help a first year escape the vanishing step in the staircase. Her duties as Head Girl always made her feel good about herself, helping her to feel like she was making the school a better place. Besides, lately she found herself in need of a distraction.

It had been a couple of days since she went to Godric's Hollow with Harry. While she had gone because she knew Harry wanted her there, she had had her reservations. She earnestly felt like he should have taken Ginny. That it wasn't her place anymore to share those intimate moments with him. Yet, she had found it impossible to tell him no when he had asked.

Truthfully, she was doing her best to move on from her feelings for Harry. He was in a committed relationship and Hermione had no desire to pine after what she couldn't have. Schoolwork and Head Girl duties could always push it to the further reaches of her mind, but it always came back.

She needed some other way to move on.

"You needed to see me Headmistress?"

"Please, take a seat. Potter should be along…ah there we are."

Harry took a seat next to her, his hair more disheveled than usual. The sight made her sick.

"I presume you posted the notices for the first Hogsmeade weekend?" McGonagall looked from Harry to Hermione.

"Yes Professor." Harry replied. "I mean, Headmistress."

"Not to worry dear. Well, I have something else I would like to share with you. After much deliberation, I wish to resurrect the tradition of the Winter Ball."

"'There hasn't been a Winter Ball here in a hundred years." Hermione exclaimed.

"It fell out of practice, but it has been the most commonly cited improvement listed in our exit interviews for the past few years. Particularly after the Yule Ball."

"What do you need us to do?" Harry asked. _Leave it to Harry to make a dance seem like a duty._

"I need you to post the notices and coordinate with the Prefects and Professor McClellan to ensure that only fourth year students and above are allowed into the Great Hall. I'll also need you to help decorate when the time arises."

"Sounds simple enough." Harry said.

"Of course Headmistress." Hermione replied.

"There is one other small matter." McGonagall looked warily between them, "It was a Winter Ball tradition for the Head Boy and Girl to begin the dancing. I suggest you inform Miss Weasley, Mr. Potter; and whoever escorts you Miss Granger."

Hermione didn't look at Harry, but could feel his eyes on her. "Alright Headmistress. Anything else?"

"That's all for now. Thank you dears."

Hermione bolted from the room before Harry could speak a word. Any conversation about the Ball with Harry would tread on territory she didn't particularly want to cover at the moment. It made her feel slightly hysterical to simply run, but then again her heart was slowly turning her into a nutter anyways….

She was so lost in her own mind that she wasn't paying attention where she was walking, plowing headlong into Ginny.

"Oi! Hermione!" Ginny rubbed her forehead, "What in the name of Merlin where you doing?"

"Sorry Ginny, my head was in the clouds." Hermione breathed between putting books back into her bag.

"Obviously. Are you okay? You've been acting strange the past few days."

"I'm….I'm fine. Just been a little busy is all."

"You need a break. Hey! Why don't we treat ourselves to some girl time at Hogsmeade in two weeks? We can try out that new spa that opened up just passed Weasley's Hogsmeade branch."

"Er…sure. Sounds great."

"Wicked, see you around Hermione." Ginny walked around the corner, probably to seek the Head Boy.

She hated to admit it to herself, but spending time with Ginny wasn't exactly the most appealing prospect. Ginny would probably want to talk about Harry….

That was when it hit her. She had given some advice to a girl who had a huge crush on Harry that was unrequited years before. Granted, the idea then had been to gain the confidence to catch Harry's eye, but what if she took her own advice to simply get over Harry and leave it at that?

Therein was a problem: it wasn't like she had been beating away boys with a beater's bat. Besides Ron, Krum, and Neville no other guy had ever shown any interest in her and all of them were now unavailable.

"I'm doomed." Not realizing she was speaking out loud.

"What's all the moaning and groaning about?"

The voice caught her by surprise. She whipped around to see Luke Morgan come around the corner.

"Oh, hi Luke." Luke was a seventh year Ravenclaw of average height and build with straw colored hair and grey eyes. "I was just…" there wasn't any way to explain without embarrassing herself.

"Tell you what, how about whatever is bothering you; we just agree that you're smart enough to handle it?"

He gave her a genuine smile. He was handsome in a boyish way, with perfect teeth and smile. She had seen him around, but hadn't had any interactions with him before.

"Cleverness can only get you so far." Hermione answered.

"I think that depends, I for one value cleverness quite highly." He smiled again, not breaking eye contact with her.

"Well, I better get going. I have homework to do and Head Girl duties to see to." Hermione turned to go, "I'll see you around Luke."

"See you around Granger."

 _What was that?_

Luke had appeared practically out of mid-air and if Hermione wasn't mistaken was at least somewhat interested in her. She swore there had to have been some kind of magic in the building that had been targeting her recently, though it was definitely sending mixed signals.

 _Now I sound like Luna._ _Making far-fetched theories about unknown magic._

Whatever it was that had made Luke appear, it made Hermione's insides twist uncomfortably. Everything inside of her rebelled against the idea of anyone besides Harry, but it looked increasingly like she was never going to have Harry. Why shouldn't she be happy to have another boy's attention?

She returned to her dorm and locked the door behind her. She pulled open her bedside drawer and took out a photograph of her and Harry. It was during their fifth year Christmas at Grimmauld Place. She had made Harry take the picture and had cherished it ever since, as it was the only one she had of just the two of them.

It seemed a cruel twist in fate that when she came to realize just how much she cared for the boy, he fell for another girl. Then again, at least fate had bypassed Harry for once.

A soft knock came at her door. "Come in." she waved her wand to unlock it, placing the photo back in the drawer. Aubrey walked in through the open door.

"Hey you, I was looking for you." Aubrey smiled, "Ginny said something about a girls outing next Hogsmeade weekend."

"Yeah, her idea. Sounded like fun." Hermione tried to sound cheerful.

"It also doesn't really sound like Hermione." Aubrey's smile faded.

"Hey, I can enjoy girl things."

"Not exactly what I meant, but a spa day?" Aubrey eyed her skeptically, "Why don't you just fess up to what's bugging you? You've been out of sorts for a few days now."

Hermione opened her mouth to start, but hesitated. She had never really had these sort of conversations with any girl other than Ginny. Then again, she couldn't exactly talk to Ginny about any of it.

"Well, there's this guy and I _think_ he might be interested in me."

"I fail to see how that's a problem." Aubrey laughed.

"Well it wouldn't be, except I want to be with someone else."

"Okay, so why not go after this other guy?"

"He's sortave….taken."

"Well I'm not really game for sharing Ron…"

"Aubrey!"

"I'm kidding!" Aubrey laughed. "So who's Mr. Unavailable?"

"It's….sortave….Harry."

"Oh….that's complicated."

"Tell me about it."

They sat in silence, Aubrey biting her tongue in thought.

"So let me get this straight." Aubrey broke the silence. "You like Harry."

"Right." Hermione hesitated.

"Oh….you love him don't you?"

"Well…."

"Okay, so you're in love with Harry who is unavailable, but you have this other guy who is interested in you and available?"

"Right."

"Hmm. Well, what could it hurt to give this other bloke a go? Harry can't be any less yours."

 _Ouch_

That stung more than Hermione cared to admit. Her face must have shown it.

"I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, but it's the truth isn't it?" Aubrey gave her a concerned look. "I know us girls hate to admit it, but sometimes what you need is the bare assed truth."

For some reason that made Hermione laugh, completely obliterating the tense air in the room. "You have a way with words Aubrey."

"One of many qualities dear Ron and I have in common." She smiled. "Look, I'm not saying you and Harry could never happen. I've got no dog in this, so take my outsiders opinion: I think you and Harry would be great together." Hermione smiled and blushed a little. "But, he's with Ginny now. I don't think you should sit around waiting on a break up that may never happen. You're worth more than that."

It was the sincerity with which she said it that did as much as the words themselves. Hermione had to brush a stray tear from her eye.

"Thanks."

"What are friends for?" Aubrey smiled. "Now why don't we do something that Hermione Granger likes to do and go to the library?"

Thinking to herself that Ron had found a real keeper, Hermione smiled back.

"Sounds great."


	29. Chapter 29

"Where are the women?" Ron asked Harry.

"Ginny will be late, wanted to get some flying in. Can't say where Hermione and Aubrey are." Harry answered between bites of potatoes.

Ron scanned the Great Hall again, looking for a bushy or silky brown haired head. Finally, after five more minutes of pushing food around his plate, Hermione and Aubrey took seats on either side of him.

Something was immediately suspicious: both women looked very pleased with themselves.

"What's got you two so cheery?" Ron asked.

"I've just been enjoying Hermione's company, why don't you ask her?" Aubrey gave him a mischievous grin. Ron's own smile slid, that look usually meant Aubrey was up to something.

"Hermione?" this time it's Harry asking.

"Hmm?" Hermione feigned interest while she took a sip of pumpkin juice.

"Why the huge smile?" Harry prodded.

"I can't just be happy?" Hermione replied coolly.

"Of course you can." Ron came to help, "We just know something is up, so why don't you spill the beans?"

Aubrey laughed while Ron and Harry both stared Hermione down. Hermione finally gave Harry a rather smug look that didn't suit her.

"I ran into Luke Morgan yesterday and today he found me in the library and asked me to go on a date with him next Hogsmeade weekend."

Ron felt his jaw hit the floor. Harry simply frowned.

"But…" Ron's mind hit a brick wall. He couldn't exactly talk about how Hermione had admitted to loving Harry right here in front of him.

"But what Ronald? I see no reason at all why I shouldn't have said yes." Hermione gave him a stern look.

"You said yes?" Harry asked quietly, looking from Ron to Hermione.

"I did. He seems nice. Very smart too. Flitwick was raving about him in Charms today. Oh and did I mention he's handsome."

Hermione was saying all of it very nonchalantly, but Ron could tell she was paying very close attention to Harry. Harry was still frowning, taking it all in very quietly.

"Hey gang, what's going on?" Ginny took a seat next to Harry. The scene must have looked very strange from her perspective. A smug Hermione, perplexed Ron, giggling Aubrey, and deathly quiet Harry.

"I have a date next weekend. With Luke Morgan." Hermione replied, this time giving Ginny a genuine smile.

"Ooooh that cute Ravenclaw? Nice Hermione." Ginny returned the smile. "Harry, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Harry answered quietly. "I…I'm not very hungry." He stood up to go. "I'll see you in the common room Ginny."

Harry walked off, leaving a confused Ginny and satisfied Hermione.

Figuring it was his duty to see to his friend, Ron stood up as well. "I'll go see what's up with him." He shot a significant look to Hermione who simply shrugged. "I'll see you later." He gave Aubrey a quick peck on the cheek.

"Common room later?" Aubrey gave him a wicked grin. Ron had to smile back, knowing exactly what she was really asking.

"Sure thing."

 _Alright, if I was Harry I would go…_

Fortunately he had known Harry long enough that there were really only two places he ever went when he was in one of his moods and only one of them was at Hogwarts. He made his way to the fifth floor and made his way into the Head dormitories, knocking gently on Harry's door.

"Come in." the door opened of its own accord.

"Hey mate, what's on your mind?"

"Nothing."

"Doesn't seem like nothing. Come on, after everything we've gone through this can't be that bad. Tell me what's up."

"Do you approve of this guy?" Harry blurted.

"Why does my opinion matter?"

"Don't you care who she goes out with?"

"Of course I do, but I don't really know this Luke character. I'll reserve my judgement."

"I don't like him."

"Do you even know him?"

"Forget it."

Harry clamped up. Ron had seen this movie a hundred times. It always meant that there was something more Harry wasn't saying.

"Harry, what's this really about?"

"Nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing from where I'm standing."

"Just forget I said anything."

"Really Harry?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"That Hermione going out with Luke bothers you."

"Hermione going out with Luke bothers me." Harry mechanically intoned.

"Oh _ha ha_. Now why does it bother you?"

"I don't know okay?" Harry sighed exasperatedly.

"Well that clears things up."

"I don't know!"

"Okay, okay. I get it."

"This doesn't bother _you_?" Harry looked at Ron.

"Honestly? A little bit. But Hermione can make her own choices."

Ron looked concernedly at his friend. He had a suspicion what this was really about, even if Harry were trying to make this about Ron. Harry was looking at him, reading him.

"I'm fine, really Harry."

"Okay."

"How are things with Ginny?"

"They're okay."

"Just okay?"

"It's just like, there's something missing. You know? Like we have great times together and everything, but…." Harry trailed off.

"Well here's an idea: why don't you talk Ginny into seeing if you could make Hermione's date a double date with you and Ginny? You could keep an eye on this bloke and make sure there's no funny business."

"I don't think she'd go for it…"

"Won't know unless you try."

"Alright, I'll talk to Ginny." Harry mumbled, rising and leaving the room. "I'll see you around; I'm going to the Tower common room."

"Alright mate, see you."

Ron headed down towards the kitchens with more on his mind than just meeting up with his girlfriend. If Harry's odd behavior was what Ron thought it was, then things were about to get a lot more complicated. He smiled,

 _This must be what Harry felt like all those years that Hermione and I danced around each other._

He was just getting to the portrait that hid the kitchens when a pair of soft hands covered his eyes.

"Guess who."

"Oh I don't know….Malfoy? Oi!" Aubrey had punched him in the ribs. "Are you mad?"

"What boy you know has hands as well moisturized as mine?" Aubrey pouted.

"You're right, not slimy enough to be Malfoy." Ron smiled.

"You're in a better mood." Aubrey smiled back. "I know you know about Hermione, do me a favor and let it go alright?"

"Alright, geez. So demanding."

"How about I make you feel better by _demanding_ you take me somewhere and snog me senseless?"

"I do like 'em bossy." Ron grinned. Things with his friends were complicated but this, this was simple.

He liked simple.


	30. Chapter 30

Saturday morning dawned cold and windy, but surprisingly sunny for the first quidditch match of the season. Ron's Gryffindor squad was perhaps the best that Harry had been on in years and both boys felt confident that Slytherin didn't stand a chance.

The new Slytherin captain, Simon Daugherty, had had to accept nearly everyone who tried out, as Slytherin house was noticeably smaller in its number of upperclassmen and McGonagall had refused to allow any exceptions to the rule about first years. Gryffindor meanwhile, was almost entirely veterans from Harry's team, plus Jay who had made the team and replaced Katie's vacant spot.

"This will be the most lopsided Slytherin loss in their history." Coote was proclaiming to raucous applause at breakfast.

"Will you keep it down? No sense in giving them reason to play harder." Ron scolded him. He was looking a bit pale, but wasn't the delicate shade of green he normally turned before a game.

"You look good mate. Confident?"

"I'm feeling pretty good yeah." Ron managed between mouthfuls of porridge.

"Do keep your mouth closed when it's full Ron." Hermione elbowed him.

"Oi!"

Aubrey laughed as she joined them on Ron's other side. "She's right you know Ron."

"Don't you start on me too!"

"Relax. If we didn't love you we wouldn't bother trying to polish your Stone Age eating methods."

"Alright. Geez."

"Oh so _she_ tells you and it's all aboard!" Hermione spun in her seat.

"She's just a bit more persuasive is all luv." Ron gave her a wicked grin. Hermione feigned gagging onto her toast.

"Spare me the details."

"Hey Hermione, ready to go?" Luke sauntered up behind her.

"Yes. Good luck Ron." She bent down and gave Ron a kiss on the cheek, "Good luck Harry." Hermione barely made eye contact and was already walking away when she said it. Ron gave Harry a look and shrugged his shoulders. Harry lost interest in his breakfast.

The pitch roared as Harry and Ron lead the team onto the pitch. Gryffindor were the clear favorites in the stands.

"Opponents shake hands." Madame Hooch commanded. Malfoy put out his hand for Ron and Harry noticed he didn't have his typical scowl. They shook hands briefly and Harry put out his own hand.

"Good luck Potter."

Harry simply stared at Malfoy as he mounted his broom.

"Players..." Madame Hooch gave a shrill blast of her whistle and both teams streaked into the air.

Harry flew one lap close to the pitch grass before looping high above the action, searching for the snitch. Malfoy circled on the other side.

Ron's team was proving its mettle. The chasers were flying in a perfect amalgamation of set formations and improvisation, passing from one to another with such speed that the Slytherin defense was getting shredded. Barely twenty minutes in and the score was one hundred and sixty to thirty. Harry kept his vigilance; the score wouldn't matter if Malfoy caught the snitch.

Just when Ginny had scored another goal and Harry had dipped down to the level of the upper stands, he spotted Hermione sitting with Luke and idly chatting away, barely paying attention to the game.

It floored him. She had always been there to cheer him on, despite disliking the game itself. To see her so non-chalantly ignoring it sent a bitter taste into his mouth and stones in his gut.

"Oi! Harry!" Ron's voice came bellowing from the goalpost. Harry turned to see a streak of green diving towards the far end of the pitch. He pushed his broom as fast as it could towards the tiny snitch that was hovering towards the bottom of the Slytherin goalpost.

Unfortunately, Malfoy had a huge head start, and before Harry had closed two-thirds of the distance a triumphant Malfoy hovered in front of a screaming knot of green clad Slytherins in victory: one hundred and eighty to one hundred and seventy.

"What the _hell_ is the matter with you?" Ron flew up behind him. "What could possibly have been that interesting in the stands that you let Malfoy get the better of you like that?"

"Nothing." Harry snapped back, reaching the ground and stomping his way towards the locker room. The pitch was quiet but for the raucous cheers from the Slytherins.

Ron gave a short speech to the effect of having only lost by ten points and still controlling their destiny in the cup race, but Harry was barely listening. He was berating himself for having let Hermione get to him and for letting the Slytherins escape. He trudged his way back to his dorm, ignoring the gloomy Gryffindors who tried to cheer him up.

He was freshly showered and was pouting in the common room when Hermione walked in, saying her goodbyes to Luke.

"Oh, hello Harry. You'll do better next time I'm sure."

"How would you know? Not like you'll be paying much attention." He grumbled back.

"Excuse me?" Hermione's voice rose.

"You weren't even watching today. Too wrapped up in Luke to know what was going on. Do you even know what the score was?" Harry's temper was flaring.

"One hundred eighty to one hundred seventy." She responded coldly. "Since when have I not supported you at a game?"

"Since you met Luke."

"What's your problem with Luke? You don't even know him!"

"I don't have a problem with him, it's just…"

"It's what Harry? Please tell me!" but Harry either couldn't or wouldn't tell her what it was. "When you decide to stop being a child and act like the adult you are, I will be in my room studying."

Hermione huffed passed him and slammed her door shut. Harry's wand emitted sparks as his temper flared again.

 _Who is she to call me a child? Maybe if she wasn't so gooey eyed over Luke none of this happens!_

He stomped back into his room, slamming the door. _Why does Luke bother me so much?_ A much calmer voice in his head spoke up.

 _Hermione is my best friend; I just want what's best for her. That's all._ He reasoned. If he was honest with himself, it didn't help that she was paying attention to Luke and not him. That wasn't necessarily Luke's fault though.

Harry took a deep breath. This was crazy. He didn't know a thing about this guy, for all he knew, Luke was going to be the best thing that ever happened to Hermione and here he was being a baby because she didn't see every second of his game.

He walked across the common room and knocked softly at Hermione's door.

"Hermione?"

There was silence for a few long seconds, before there was some scuffling on the other side of the door and it opened just enough for half of Hermione's face to appear.

"Are you done being a prat?"

"Look, I'm sorry Hermione. I was just mad about the game."

"Yeah, well that's not my fault is it?"

"No, no its not." Another short silence before Hermione sighed and opened the door completely.

"Harry, are you going to tell me what about Luke bothers you?"

"Hermione I….you're my best friend. I just want what's best for you."

"You don't even know him…."

"You're exactly right, which is why I have a proposition for you." Hermione's eyebrows peaked. "Why don't we make it a double date next weekend? You and Luke, me and Ginny?"

"Harry…"

"I'll be on my best behavior, I swear." He crossed his hand over his heart. "I just want to know the guy who's gotten the attention of my Hermione."

Hermione's eyes went wide. "I….O-Okay."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes." She ran her hands through her hair. "Yes, it sounds lovely. Besides, it'll make things less awkward."

"Brilliant, I'll let Ginny know." Harry smiled and Hermione returned it with a shaky smile of her own.

"See you at dinner."

"See you around Harry."

Harry walked back to his room, a mixed feeling settling into his gut. It was going to be weird being on a double date period, but to be on it with Hermione was going to make it even stranger. At least he would get a close up look at this guy and decide for himself if he was worthy of his best friends affections. She deserved the best and if Luke didn't pass muster, then Harry was going to have something to say about it.


	31. Chapter 31

Harry felt the knot in his stomach tighten while he waited on Hermione and Luke to come down the stairs. Ginny was non-chalantly checking her reflection in a mirror.

"Why so tense Harry?"

"I'm not tense."

"Harry, I can very well see that you're tense. Relax. Why are you so worked up over Hermione and Luke?"

Ginny was feigning an air of light curiosity, but Harry could hear the warning in her tone.

"I can't worry about my best friend? I don't even know this bloke."

"He's sweet. He'll be good to Hermione. Don't worry about it alright?"

Harry nodded and checked his watch again. Hermione and Luke were running late, which was uncharacteristic of Hermione. Finally, after ten more minutes of twiddling his thumbs and checking his watch, Hermione and Luke descended the stairs.

"Sorry we're late. My hair just wasn't cooperating today." Hermione grumbled. Her hair had been straightened into loose curls and framed her face nicely.

"What's wrong with how it normally looks?" Harry replied.

"Oh please Harry, that's a nice sentiment but it's normally a mess." Hermione smiled.

"It looks great, where we off to?" Luke asked.

"Let's get some Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. Then we can go browse around the new W.W.W. premises before heading to Tomes and Scrolls." Hermione rattled off what was to her a clearly designed schedule.

"Oh come on, no Madame Puddifoot's? It'd be fun!" Ginny winked devilishly at Hermione who blushed.

"Er….not today. Maybe some other time." Hermione responded.

"Yeah I'd rather steer clear of that place." Harry chimed in.

"Oh come on Harry….one bad date there and now it's off limits?" Ginny whined.

"Pretty much."

"It sounds great, let's get going before we sit around and it gets dark." Luke grabbed a freshly blushing Hermione's hand and set off, Harry and Ginny on their heels.

Ginny was trying to talk to Harry about ideas for the next quidditch match, but he kept his answers short as he was trying to catch whatever it was that Hermione found so interesting in what Luke was saying.

"Uh huh." Harry nodded.

"Harry, that wasn't a question. Are you even listening to me?"

"Uh.." he could see the daggers forming in Ginny's eyes, "Sorry Ginny, just got a little distracted is all."

"Harry, for the last time, relax. How are we supposed to enjoy our date when all you care about is catching every little thing between those two? Leave them alone. Hermione is a grown woman, she can handle herself just fine."

Harry sighed, "Alright Ginny. Now what is it you were saying?"

Harry indulged Ginny all the way to a corner booth at the Three Broomsticks that Hermione and Luke had found for them.

"Bad luck at that last match Harry, especially since our house is bound to give you guys a run for your money." Luke didn't look very threatening with a smile on his face and talking about quidditch.

"Yeah, we're still in the thick of the Cup race, we just can't afford another loss." Harry replied.

"We'll see just how close you Ravenclaws can stay when we're on the pitch." Ginny chimed in.

" _Must_ we talk about quidditch?" Hermione moaned, "You know our lesson yesterday in Potions was very…." She stopped at the blank looks on Harry and Ginny's faces. "Ugh, I'm surrounded."

"You mean the one on Wolfsbane? Tricky thing isn't it?" Luke grabbed Hermione's attention, "hard to believe old Snape spent a whole year brewing it perfectly for Lupin." Hermione and Luke both smiled at one another before quickly looking in opposite directions.

"What can I get you dears?" Madame Rosmerta appeared at the end of the table.

"Butterbeer all around please? Thank you Madame and put it on my tab please." Hermione looked approvingly at Luke.

"Of course dear." Madame Rosmerta smiled as she disappeared to fetch the drinks.

"So Hermione, what's it like being Head Girl?" Ginny and Hermione launched into a discussion of Hermione's Head Girl duties with Luke looking appropriately enthusiastic.

Harry followed the conversation, paying close attention to body language. It was clear that Hermione was nervous, but nervous in the way anyone would be on a first date. Ginny wasn't doing a great job at hiding the fact that she was trying to play up Hermione's good qualities to Luke. Luke….

Luke was being a perfect gentleman. It irritated Harry to watch him being perfectly polite and respectful to Hermione. Aside from holding hands he hadn't touched her at all, was being perfectly deferent to her, and he was showing interest in everything she talked about without going over the top.

Maybe Harry had spent so much of the past few years dealing with humanity's worst that it was just hard to accept that Luke really could be a good guy. That beneath his nice exterior there wasn't a dark wizard lurking underneath. Maybe he just had trust issues with anyone he hadn't personally fought beside for all those years. Maybe he was just worried about not having his best friend around as much. Or maybe….

"Yoo-hoo, Earth to Harry." Ginny was waving her hand in front of his face. "Where have you been the past five minutes?"

"Er…here with you of course."

"Please, you were a million miles away." Ginny playfully smacked his arm. "We'll talk about it later. Come on, we're headed to the shop."

Luke helped Hermione to her feet and held hands as the four made their way into the street. Hogwarts students were passing every which way making their way in and out of the shops, all of them stopping to politely wave and greet Harry and Ginny. Ginny stopped on several occasions for an extra word or two with someone, with Harry keeping an eye on Hermione and Luke who were immersed in conversation.

Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes was jam packed with people when they reached the violent purple building. It was slightly larger than the Diagon Alley premises and seemed to have a slightly different inventory more obviously geared towards the Hogwarts crowd. Luke and Hermione had already melded into the crowd, so for perhaps the first time that afternoon Harry let them slip out of his mind as he and Ginny perused the shelves. Ginny liked the line of trick makeup sets, while Harry could think of plenty of ways to use the brand new line of prank broomsticks.

"What's this?" Harry reached out and picked up what looked to be a jack in the box.

"Careful, Harry." Ginny giggled.

Harry would up the toy until the chime reached its end, he pointed it away from him but when the final note sounded nothing happened. Just when he let his guard down and pointed it upwards again, it exploded in a cloud of purple powder.

Harry was spluttering and attempting to get the powder off his glasses while Ginny was collapsing in fits of laughter. Even Harry gave into his laughter once the initial shock had worn off.

"Geez, you think I would know better than to satisfy my curiosity about a Weasley product." Harry laughed. "I look ridiculous."

Ginny laughed, "It could be worse. Purple isn't really your color…" she gave him a light kiss on the lips, "but it will do."

Harry looked into her brown eyes and they both smiled at each other. Right when he looked up over Ginny's head, he caught site of Luke who was looking avidly over the joke broomsticks and Hermione who was looking right at Harry with a distinct frown on her face. Before Harry could adequately process it, she was back to talking with Luke.

"What was that all about?"

"What was what all about?" Ginny's voice reminded him of her presence.

"Oh, er….some first years outside were yelling at one another. They've moved on up the street now."

"Oh. Where are Hermione and Luke?"

"Over by the broomsticks."

'Thank you Harry."

"For what?"

"For being so nice today. I know you don't know or trust Luke and that you worry about Hermione, but Luke really is a nice guy and Hermione deserves to be able to have a nice day out with a handsome guy."

Harry suddenly felt very selfish. "Of course she does and he seems alright." He almost made it sound sincere.

"Ready to go you two?" Hermione suddenly appeared behind Ginny.

"Sure. Off to Tomes and Scrolls right?" Harry responded.

"Right. Say Ginny, could I have a word?" Hermione looked a Ginny who followed Hermione out the door giggling.

"They couldn't possibly be talking about us now could they?" Luke grinned at Harry.

"Nah, probably talking about quidditch or dragons or something." Harry couldn't help but laugh as he made his way into the busy street with Luke tailing behind him.

"Listen, I know you and Hermione are close. She talks about you quite a bit. You don't know me and I don't really know you outside of the stories."

"Okay.."

"I won't ever purposefully hurt her and not just because she's a powerful witch or you're the most powerful wizard alive to hear the tales. I genuinely like her and want to get to know her better and spend more time with her. I just want to make sure that you and I understand one another."

Luke had stopped walking and was looking Harry in the face. Harry looked into his eyes and saw that behind his calm demeanor, Luke was nervous but determined.

Harry looked up the street where Hermione was stopped with Ginny talking to Madame Rosmerta. "She's my best friend. I can't control who she spends time with or goes on dates with. You don't need my blessing. Just treat her right and we won't have any problems."

"Count on it." Luke grinned and happily changed the subject back to quidditch. That subject carried them all the way into Tomes and Scrolls.

"Luke, could you help me get these books to the counter?" Ginny appeared right as they walked in the doorway with a load of books that, judging by their titles, were clearly Hermione's.

"Of course." Luke took the load of books and followed Ginny to the front counter. Harry saw Hermione biting her lip and flipping disinterestedly through a book in the first row.

"I take it you wanted to speak with me?" Harry grinned at his clearly anxious friend.

"Ginny hasn't really learned the art of subtlety." Hermione smiled weakly, "What do you think?"

"Well a book on Goblin runes wouldn't be my first choice, but…."

"Oh, come off it Harry, you know what I mean."

"Luke?" Harry glanced at Luke as he helped Ginny get Hermione's books paid and bagged, "He seems alright. Not good enough for you, but then that's a given."

Hermione blushed. "I had a hard time believing at first he was really interested in me and not just playing me or wanting to hear stories about you or something."

"Come on Hermione, why wouldn't he want to spend time with Hermione Granger? The Brightest Witch of the Age, the woman who helped take down Voldemort, Hogwarts Head Girl, future Minister of Magic?"

Hermione laughed and punched Harry in the arm. "Stop it! I'm being serious!"

"So am I Hermione. You're great, any guy would be lucky to have you."

Hermione crushed him in a hug. "You're the best Harry. Please play nice alright?"

"I'll do my best." Harry forced a smile.

The four of them walked to the castle together, the two couples holding hands and chatting idly. Harry was quiet, speaking only when spoken to. It wasn't that he hadn't had a great afternoon with his girlfriend, best friend and her new boyfriend.

No, the problem was that there was something crawling around in Harry's chest and twisting his insides into knots.

He had thought to himself many times in his life that Ron or some other guy was going to be really lucky to have Hermione one day. He had been entirely truthful when he had told that to her in the bookstore. That wasn't what was bothering him.

The problem that was slithering around in his chest was that today was the first time he had included himself. The first time he had thought that _he_ would be really lucky to have Hermione.

Something about _that_ was very disquieting to Harry indeed.


	32. Chapter 32

Harry spent all the next day trying to ignore the pestering thoughts in his mind. He focused extra hard in his classes and tried all day to engage Ginny in conversation, but apparently he wasn't the only one with a heavy mind. Ginny was conspicuously quiet the entire day. So he spent the whole morning awkwardly making one way conversation and scratching extra detailed notes in class.

"Gin? What's wrong? You've been quiet all day." Harry placed his hand on hers. They were sitting on the couch in the Head dorm working on a Charms essay. She sat staring at the floor before turning to Harry with that same hard, blazing look she had given him on two other occasions. One was when they had their first kiss and the other was right before he broke up with her to chase horcruxes.

But there was something different in that look this time.

"Harry, do you love me?" her voice was very soft.

"Of course I do Gin." Harry felt his chest tighten.

"Do you _love_ me. Do you want to be with me?"

"Why are you asking this Ginny?"

"Can you just answer the question?" Ginny's voice rose in pitch.

"Of course I do Ginny. Why would you think otherwise?"

"I don't know, why don't you tell me why I have to work so hard to be noticed by you? Why did it take you so much longer to say you loved me when I've known for so long that I've loved you? Why is it that there are things you will talk to _her_ about that you won't mention to me?" Ginny's voice was getting louder and shriller with every syllable and she rose to her feet.

"Ginny, we've been over this. You weren't there. There are just some things that you can't understand." Harry was on his feet now.

"How would you know? You never even gave me the chance! But _Hermione_ gets to know every little thing about _my_ boyfriend!"

"She's my best friend Ginny."

"I'm your girlfriend! You know…the one you supposedly love and maybe want to marry and start a family with? Don't you think we should be able to talk about those kinds of things?"

"We will Ginny…."

"When Harry? At what point do I finally start to catch up to Hermione?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "You make it sound like a competition."

"I've had to compete with her from square one! You've always spent time with her, confided in her and talked about her. Don't you think there was a reason Cho was jealous of her? Why _I'm_ jealous of her? She's always been higher on your priority list than any other girl!"

"Ginny…."

"No! I've had enough!" Ginny cut him off, "I got sent home instead of going with you after Voldemort because you "cared too much", but _she_ gets to spend the whole year wandering the wilderness with you and fighting with you. Did you just not care about her that much? Is that why she got to go with you when I couldn't? Everyone else kept the person they loved most close: Bill, Lupin, Ron….why was I the one who got sent home?"

Ginny was practically shouting now and Harry's voice rose with it. "So is that what this boils down to? You're seriously upset that she got to live in a tent and nearly give up her life and I cared too much to put you through that?"

"Don't you get it? You allowed her that chance to risk her life for you and to be with you! I never got that chance! Don't you think when people's lives are on the line you would rather have them with you? Don't you think I would have happily given up everything to be there beside you? It broke my heart to watch you leave. I would have gone after you right then and there if I hadn't been so sure you would do everything to stop me. I spent the entire year not knowing whether you were alive out there somewhere or whether you had been dead for ages! An entire year with a bag packed and ready to go! If I had the slightest knowledge you were alive and where you were, I would have been there in an instant! I didn't care if I died or what I would lose, or what you would do! I wanted to be with you! And the whole time I wondered why she was the one who got to give it all up to be with you and not me. If you really cared about me you would have let me make the same choice you allowed her."

Ginny was openly crying now, "And when it was all over, I was convinced that maybe then things would change. With Ron and Hermione together and no Voldemort to keep you away, we could finally have the life I wanted so badly with you. But no! You had to go spend four weeks waltzing around Europe and Australia with _her_ and I wasn't even welcome to go along! I spent four weeks trying to get over Fred and needing you more than ever and where were you? Oh and when you came back? I've been fighting tooth and nail ever since to get you to look at me the way you look at her! Don't you think I see it? Don't you think I see the way she looks at you?"

"Ginny she's got a boyfriend! I'm with _you_ not _her_!"

"And is that what you want?" Ginny's voice dropped and her words seemed to catch in her throat, "Am I the only one who really wants this? Harry I spent all day yesterday watching you stare at the other girl on our double date. All day watching you fret over her in a way you only did when you didn't have me and seeing that look on your face you get with her that I can't touch and the worst part was she was doing the same damn thing."

Silence overtook the room in its vicelike grip. Harry simply stared with his mouth agape, unsure of what to say. Ginny wiped the tears off of her face and took a deep breath.

"Do you love me Harry?" Ginny's voice was whisper soft.

Harry opened his mouth, but words failed him. He wanted so badly to say the right words, but the words seemed to have hundred pound bags attached to them. Instead of rising in his throat they simply sat in his chest, unable to move.

Ginny nodded her head and as a fresh tear escaped her eye, she turned towards the door where a completely stunned looking Ron stood in the open doorway.

"I didn't mean to intrude…"

Ginny simply brushed by her brother and out the open door.

"Ginny…." Harry croaked out her name, but she didn't pause or stop. Harry felt a lead weight settle into his navel area as Ron closed the door behind him. He couldn't find anything to say to his best friend.

Ron took a seat on the couch and ran his hand through his hair. "Can I ask you something mate?"

Harry nodded. "When we came back from Australia, did you ever really want to be with my sister?"

Harry had pushed his doubts about Ginny far into the back of his mind ages ago, but like someone on the run who has been cornered, he felt like it was finally time to own up to the truth.

"I was never really sure." Harry let out a long breath, "I thought I did, but I was never sure if that was what I really wanted or if it was just the easy thing to do."

Ron frowned. "Don't you think you should have been honest about that? What happened to the Harry who was being so honest with me in Rome? Harry, you've been a lot of things in your life but the way you've treated my sister the past few months is not the Harry I thought I knew."

Harry stared at his shoes, guilt washing over him. "Ron, I don't know what to say."

"Didn't I tell you about this? Didn't I warn you about messing about with her?"

"Ron, I never meant for it to happen."

"Of course you didn't Harry, but that's what they all say isn't it? You're my best friend Harry and now because of you I've got to go find my crying little sister and tell her how it's all going to be alright. I _trusted_ you Harry. I stood up for you. I told Mum that you were going to get your head back on straight, I told Ginny that you would open up to her and pay her more attention, I told Hermione and Aubrey not to get involved and this is the thanks I get?"

"You never trusted me with Ginny!" Harry felt the words come out before he could stop them.

"I did Harry and look what it got me." Ron answered coldly.

For the second time in an hour Harry's mouth hung open and words failed him. Ron gave Harry the same disgusted look he usually reserved for Malfoy.

"Ron…"

"Save it Harry." Ron gave him one more distasteful look before storming out the door, leaving a stunned and ashamed Harry in his wake.

Harry had made a mess of quite a few things in his life, in fact it was almost his calling card, but nothing came close to the sick feeling of seeing that look on Ron's face or watching Ginny walk out of the room with tears in her eyes.

He had managed to hurt the only real family he had left.

A soft knock at the door brought his attention back to the here and now. "Can I come in?" a soft voice asked from the other side of the door.

"Sure." Harry managed to croak. Aubrey's silky brown hair preceded her as she stuck her head through the door.

"I can come back later…."

"It's fine." Harry figured there wasn't really any way it could get any worse. Aubrey gave him a sympathetic look before a determined grimace took over her features.

"I saw Ron storming away, he was rather curt and unhelpful to me but I think I know what the problem is." She kept looking at Harry, but he couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze. Aubrey let out a long breath, "Harry, I think it's time that I stop keeping my silence. There's something I need to tell you."


	33. Chapter 33

Hermione was checking her hair in the mirror for the umpteenth time. She was sure in the back of her mind that it was fine, but fidgeting with it kept her mind a little less focused on what she was about to embark upon.

Her experience with a night out with a guy consisted of the Yule Ball, Slughorn's party, and one night at the Opera with Ron. Each one had failed in some way to prepare her for what passed for a "normal" date.

Then again, it's not like Hermione had lived the most "normal" life up until this point anyways.

She felt very nervous. She knew next to nothing about Luke. What would they talk about? What if they didn't have anything in common? What if he thought she was boring?

She was used to dealing with men she knew a little more about. Krum at least had been a celebrity, so she at least had some inkling of what he would be like. Ron she knew all too well. This was new territory for her and while that came with a sense of adventure, it also took her out of her comfort zone.

A soft knock at the door. "Hermione?"

"Just a minute." She spoke to the door, taking one last glance in the mirror and counting silently to ten. She opened the door to a smiling Luke.

"You look great." He gave her a quick eye over which made her blush. He offered his hand which she politely took as they started down the stairs.

All the way to the Three Broomsticks, while she politely conversed with Luke, Harry and Ginny, Hermione was analyzing in the back of her mind. It was a habit she had had her whole life and it had always served her well in the more dangerous situations in life. While she had never quite been able to shut it off when it came to men, it hadn't gotten her into any serious trouble yet.

Ginny seemed well at ease around Luke. Then again Ginny always seemed that way around a cute guy. Still, if something was off about Luke she would expect Ginny to pick up on it.

Harry was clearly uncomfortable. Everything from his stance down to the way he seemed to pause before everything he said told Hermione that Harry was not at ease. While that disquieted her to some degree, after all no one had a better nose for trouble than Harry, it could also be attributed to circumstance.

Harry was a private person and she had been very surprised when it was his idea for a double date. It seemed to run counter to what Harry would typically want, but he had seemed genuine when he had asked. It also had to be at least a little awkward since he was the only one out of the loop since Ginny, Hermione, and Luke were obviously already acquainted. On top of it he was probably being his usual protective self, which was par for the course when it came to Harry.

Luke was calm and at ease. He walked and talked with a confidant air about him. Not in the cocky way of a Malfoy or the unintentional snobbery of Fleur, but simply with the air of someone who was completely at home in their own skin. While Ron had always felt second best and Harry and even Krum had been uncomfortable with celebrity, here was someone at home with who they were. It was new and (if Hermione was honest with herself) somewhat freeing experience.

All in all she was very satisfied so far with how everything was going. As they took their seats at the Three Broomsticks, she immersed herself in conversation with Ginny about her Head Girl duties over butterbeer, to which Luke was appropriately attentive while Harry had that faraway look that told Hermione he was in deep thought.

"I'm not sure how you balance it with all of your schoolwork." Ginny had a hint of awe in her voice."

"It all comes down to time management. I have a schedule and I have to stick to it if I'm going to get everything done. Though, two particular people who shall not be named have done a pretty good job at helping me find ways to take a break now and then."

Hermione had aimed her prodding remark Harry's way, but the boy was so deep in thought that he had been completely oblivious to it.

"Yoo-hoo, Earth to Harry." Ginny was waving her hand in front of his face. "Where have you been the past five minutes?"

Hermione briefly wondered where his mind had gotten off to, but was brought back to the present by Luke taking her hand and leading her out into the street.

"I love the Weasley's shop." They strolled hand in hand towards the violent purple shop, "They always have such neat products. Bloody shame about Fred, always liked him." Luke's face fell and it was then that Hermione caught it: he suddenly looked much older and careworn for the briefest of moments. It was such a brief yet total transformation that Hermione's mouth simply hung open.

"What's wrong?" Luke's face was suddenly back to his confidant, boyish self. The gears in Hermione's mind were whirring but she forced her face into a smile. "Nothing just got lost in my head for a second."

"That's not hard to believe." Luke laughed. "So what's it like being best friends with the most famous wizard in Britain?"

"It has had its moments," Hermione briefly flashed through seven years' worth of harrowing adventures, "but he's never really been any sort of hero or celebrity to me. He's just Harry." She briefly looked over her shoulders to see Harry and Ginny absorbed in conversation.

"You two really care for one another don't you?"

"Yes, but it's nothing like that." Hermione turned back to Luke, "We've just always looked out for one another. You go through things like we have and you form a bond you know?" Hermione wasn't even convincing herself with her line of logic.

"Everyone always you were going to either wind up with Weasley or him. Weasley obviously didn't work out, but how come you and Harry never happened?"

Hermione laughed. "I don't know. We just never really moved in that direction I guess."

"I see." They pushed their way into the crowded joke shop. Hermione had long had to admit herself that despite her distaste for pranks, there was some truly brilliant magic behind the products.

"Think Harry would notice if I switched his broom?" Luke picked up a joke broom that the advertisement said would turn into a rubber chicken when given the "up" command.

"Unfortunately I think he would." Hermione scanned the crowd and spotted a laughing Harry and Ginny holding what looked to be an exploded jack-in-the-box. Harry was coated in a purple powder and looked thoroughly ridiculous, yet Hermione's face fell into a frown.

"Too bad, it might help our chances in the quidditch match."

She turned back to Luke to break her gaze from Harry, but was taken by surprise that Luke too was looking across the room with a weary and faraway look in his eye, completely at odds with his normal boyish charm.

"Easy to get distracted in here isn't it?" Hermione attempted a chuckle, but was again taken aback by the change in Luke. Again it was only a brief moment before his perfect smile came sliding back across his face, almost like a mask being put into place.

"Yeah, want to head to the book shop?"

"Sure, let's grab the others." They managed to shove their way through the crowd to where Harry and Ginny were standing. "Ready to go you two?"

"Sure. Off to Tomes and Scrolls right?" Harry responded.

"Right. Say Ginny, could I have a word?" Hermione looked at Ginny who promptly fell in step behind her as they made their way back into the crowded street.

"So, how is it going?" Ginny whispered excitedly.

"It's….going."

"What's wrong? He seems like the perfect gentleman." Ginny frowned.

"He is its just…." Hermione couldn't get the image of a mask sliding over Luke's face out of her mind. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just nervous."

"Of course you are, but there's nothing wrong with that." Ginny smiled, "You're doing fine. He hasn't even realized yet what a dork you are."

"Hey!" she prodded Ginny with her wand, giving her a small zap, "you take that back!"

"Not on your life Granger." Ginny laughed as they stepped into the bookshop. Hermione's mind slipped back to Luke and she worried her lip.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Ginny prodded her.

"Honestly, I want to know what Harry thinks."

Ginny rolled her eyes, "He's clueless about these things, and you do know that right?" Ginny giggled but Hermione didn't smile back. "Oh alright, you can have your little pow wow with the Chosen One." Ginny proceeded to pick up a pile of books at random from the used section.

"What are you doing?" Hermione watched as Ginny piled her arms high, not even bothering to look at the titles. Ginny smiled, "You just go over there and get Harry's attention. I'll keep Luke busy."

Hermione stood and picked up an interesting looking book about Goblin runes while Ginny continued to pile on books. When the boys caught up and walked through the door, Ginny instantly grabbed Luke to help her to the counter with the books leaving Harry to catch Hermione's worried gaze.

"I take it you wanted to speak with me?" Harry grinned.

"Ginny hasn't really learned the art of subtlety." Hermione smiled weakly, "What do you think?"

"Well a book on Goblin runes wouldn't be my first choice, but…."

"Oh, come off it Harry, you know what I mean."

"Luke?" Harry glanced at Luke as he helped Ginny get Hermione's books paid and bagged, "He seems alright. Not good enough for you, but then that's a given."

Hermione blushed. She wasn't used to getting complemented in this department. "I had a hard time believing at first he was really interested in me and not just playing me or wanting to hear stories about you or something."

Hermione struggled in her mid whether or not she wanted to bring up what was really troubling her about Luke. She didn't want to make a fuss over nothing and Harry, with his usually brilliant instincts, didn't sense anything amiss. Maybe she was just imagining it.

"Come on Hermione, why wouldn't he want to spend time with Hermione Granger? The Brightest Witch of the Age, the woman who helped take down Voldemort, Hogwarts Head Girl, future Minister of Magic?"

Hermione laughed and punched Harry in the arm. "Stop it! I'm being serious!"

"So am I Hermione. You're great, any guy would be lucky to have you."

Just like that, her concerns seemingly vanished in the glow she felt in her chest. She valued Harry's opinion over anyone else's and he thought she was a treasure to have.

Hermione crushed him in a hug. "You're the best Harry. Please play nice alright?"

"I'll do my best." Harry forced a smile.

Hermione couldn't help but smile all the way back to the castle. The sun even seemed to shine a little bit brighter as it set over the lake. Her glowing mood carried her all the way back to the Head dorm when her brain came to a screeching halt.

"Well, I had a great time today." Luke was smiling at her. Hermione's brain went into overdrive. She had forgotten all about this moment. Was he going to kiss her? Was she going to kiss him? When was the last time she cleaned her teeth? She had the wild thought of doing a _scourgify_ charm on her mouth.

"Y-Yeah me too." She stuttered. Luke took a step closer to her and she could feel heat emanating off her body in waves. Her nerves were completely frayed as time seemed to come to a complete halt with Luke just inches away.

 _Come on Hermione, you faced the darkest wizard of all time._

She tried to gather her courage, but the best she could do was to close her eyes. Luke seemed to take it as a cue and she felt his body touch hers and his lips brush gently against hers.

It was a very gentle and chaste kiss, at least compared to the make out sessions she and Ron used to have. Before she could really react to it, it was over. She opened her eyes while Luke was still standing against her and from this close distance could was looking directly in his eyes. This time, while he had the same easy and boyish smile on his face, she could see the weariness hiding behind it. It seemed like a thin veneer painted over deep well of….something Hermione couldn't quite grasp.

"Good night Hermione." Luke squeezed her hand and slowly walked away towards Ravenclaw tower.

"Good night Luke." She managed to force her mouth to make the words. She was too stunned to move, not because of the kiss she had just had, but because for the life of her she had to know what was hiding beneath that boyishly handsome face.


	34. Chapter 34

Aubrey's bright blue eyes reflected the firelight with sympathy as she took a seat in front of Harry. Neither of them said anything for what seemed like an eternity, before she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Harry, do you remember what your last night in Australia was like?"

The question took Harry by surprise. "Yeah, why?"

"Hermione was telling me about it one time. The two of you stood by the sea and told each other you loved each other and that the best thing for everyone was for you two to stay together right?"

"Yeah…" Harry slid down the wall and took a seat next to the fireplace.

Aubrey shook her head and smiled. "Harry, I'm going to give you the best advice my godfather ever told me." She stood up and went to her knees in front of Harry to get on eye level. "He told me once that we all have to live our lives as the people we are, not the person others want us to be."

Harry laughed. He had spent his whole life being defined by something or someone else. Voldemort gave him the scar, the Wizarding world labeled him either a hero or a nutcase, and Dumbledore eventually made him a sacrifice. The only times he had thought about who _he_ wanted to be were the moments he simply wanted to be a normal teenaged wizard.

Aubrey had a sad smile on her face. "You've never even thought about that have you?"

"Never really had a chance."

"No, you've always had one." Aubrey placed her hand on his shoulder, "The choice of who you are _always_ lies with you."

"How is this relevant?" Harry blurted out.

"Harry, I think you have made at least two genuine choices about who you are. That night in Australia, you made the choice to be with Hermione no matter what. When you went to leave on the horcrux hunt, you made the choice to leave Ginny behind and break off your relationship to go with Ron and Hermione."

"Yeah, but…."

"No Harry, stop and think for a moment."

"No Aubrey." Harry got to his feet, "I left Ginny behind because I cared about her, because I didn't want her to get hurt."

"Of course you didn't, but was she really any safer there? Voldemort had already used her before, what would have stopped him from doing it again? Why completely cut romantic ties with her? Why break her heart when you supposedly had every intention of going back to her?"

"I _did_ go back to her."

"And did you do that because you wanted to or because it was expected of you?"

Aubrey was on her feet now, the sympathetic look in her eye replaced by a stern gleam. "Why don't you open your eyes Harry? Ginny was not the only reason you made those decisions. In times like war we hold the ones we care about the most closest, we don't push them away."

"It wasn't about Hermione! Why does everyone think there's something between us?"

"Is it such a horrible thought?"

"I'm just tired of other people…"

"See and there is your problem. There you go again caring about what other people think."

"So you never think about other people's opinion?" Harry started pacing in front of the fireplace.

"Sure I do, with certain things, but I don't give a damn what other people think when it comes to the people I really care about."

"You're not making sense!" Harry roared, "None of this makes any sense or has anything to do with my present dilemma!"

A brief yet total silence invaded the room. Aubrey took another deep breath, "Harry, you never wanted to be a hero right?"

"I'm _not_ a hero."

"I'll take that as a yes." Aubrey smiled, "And you never wanted to be the Chosen One or Boy Who Lived?"

"No."

"Don't you think there's even the slightest possibility that the reason you never wanted anything between you and Hermione was because everyone else did?"

The wheels in Harry's mind came to a dead halt. "But Ron…"

"Cho had Cedric and that didn't stop you from desiring that relationship did it?"

Harry didn't bother answering. He knew that he had still had a crush on Cho even when she was with Cedric.

It couldn't be this simple though could it? Surely something else went into his decision not to pursue Hermione than what other people thought. Right?

"You've had people trying to define you since you were an infant Harry. No one can blame you for trying to avoid every label someone tried to hand you like the plague." Aubrey sat down on the couch, "But at some point you need to live the life you want to live and forget about how someone else wants to label it."

The only sound was the gears turning in Harry's mind. Aubrey was smiling her sad smile and rarely blinking as she watched him. Was what this all came down to? Was he really just living his life to fulfil other people's expectations?

If he was honest, really honest with himself, he knew in his heart that that had been why he had went back to Ginny. While it was true that he genuinely cared about her, loved her even, he didn't desire the same sort of relationship with her that he had before. Part friend and part family sure, but not girlfriend and boyfriend. He had gone back to her because he felt like it was the expected thing to do.

But where did that leave him with Hermione?

"Putting it all together detective?" Aubrey brought him out of his thoughts.

"Maybe."

"Well let me encourage you to deal with one thing at a time." Aubrey stood up, "I don't recommend tonight, but maybe over the holidays make things right with Ginny. Then you can worry about everything else."

Aubrey surprised him by wrapping her arms around him and catching him in a tight embrace. Harry awkwardly put his arms around her and massaged her back. She pulled back and her bright blue eyes met his emerald ones.

"Start living your life for you, Harry Potter." Aubrey smiled and as she turned Harry thought he caught a glimpse of a tear in her eye.

"Thanks." He gave her a genuine smile as she turned and walked away, closing the door softly behind her.

Harry took a deep breath. It had seemed like the night had dragged on for a couple of days instead of a few hours and there was a burning behind his eyes that beckoned him to sleep that he knew his whirring mind wouldn't let him get. He certainly had a lot to think about.

 _Thank Merlin for Ron's clumsy feet._


	35. Chapter 35

Hermione woke up the last morning before the winter holidays to find Harry asleep on the couch in the common room.

"Harry, why didn't you go to bed?"

"Had a lot to think about." He grumbled, groping for his classes. Hermione couldn't help but smile at his rumpled hair.

"I know it's been rough since the breakup, I've kept trying to talk to you…"

"And I kept avoiding you, I'm sorry."

"It's okay; sometimes you don't want to talk. I get that." She took a seat next to him on the couch. "Are you okay?"

Harry hesitated, "I don't know."

She frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Maybe I've just been getting my whole life wrong." Harry ran his hand through his hair, "Maybe I've been so focused on what others thought of me, even when I thought I didn't care, that I've completely missed being my own man. I had never thought about it until Aubrey said it to me, but I've spent my whole life letting other people define me in some way. I never once thought for myself who Harry Potter was."

He said all of this with the same detached calm that he had used when he had told her about the horcruxes. A memory that felt like it was from a different life.

"So you talked to Aubrey?"

"Yeah, she came in the night it happened. She had some interesting things to say."

"I can imagine."

"Ron found himself a keeper." Harry smiled.

Hermione smiled back, "That we can agree on."

An amiable silence fell, only the sound of the clock ticking and the distant sounds of students in the corridor could be heard.

"Well, I think you better get ready. See you at breakfast?" Hermione stood up to leave.

"Yeah." Harry ran his hand through his hair again and made his way to his room. Hermione made her way into the corridor and towards her usual meeting spot with Luke in the entrance hall. She was taking a shortcut and about to push a portrait back when a hushed voice made her stop.

"You have to tell her."

"No I don't."

"It's only fair."

Hermione pressed her ear to the canvas, curiosity overtaking her. One of the voices certainly belonged to Luke, the other one she didn't recognize.

"It's not right and you know it Luke." A female voice scolded.

"No, that's not the real crime here." Hermione cringed; she had ever heard Luke's voice sound so harsh.

"I know it's hard," The female voice filled with sympathy, "but it's not fair to involve her and she not even know it."

"It's not happening, at least not now, end of discussion." Hermione heard both sets of footsteps make their way down the steps. She couldn't bring herself to move and her brain was in overdrive. She had known there was something Luke was hiding, but hearing him admit to it and refuse to even acknowledge the possibility of telling her made Hermione's mind whirl. What could it be that he had to be so secretive about? What did he mean by "that's not the real crime"? Why was this girl so sympathetic to him?

"Oi!"

A small first year bumped into Hermione's back in the dark passage. "What's the holdup?" Hermione pushed the portrait open to illuminate a small Gryffindor boy by the name of Logan. When Logan caught sight of Hermione he let out a small yelp.

"Apologies Miss Granger." His eyes went wide with fear and a smile stretched across Hermione's face.

"No worries Logan, just because I'm Head Girl doesn't mean I'm going to get you in trouble for bumping into me. Relax." She patted him on the shoulder, Logan visibly relaxed and let out a long breath.

"Next time I'll make sure of who it is before I run my mouth." Logan ran off down the steps two at a time, Hermione smiling as he went. She had almost forgotten why she had been stopped in the passage before her feet brought her to the foot of the stairs.

"'Morning luv." Luke gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning Luke." She faked a smile back, her mind back to racing. There hadn't been anything unusual about him since their date. He was back to being a perfectly charming and handsome man, but now Hermione could see it for the mask it was. It was all _too_ perfect. "Ready for the holiday?"

"I am." He smiled lazily as they walked hand in hand into the Great Hall, "By the way, I talked to my mum and I'm able to spend some time with you if you'd like."

"That'd be great." She briefly thought to herself that it might be weird having her new boyfriend at the Burrow for the holiday, but now was as good a time as any. Besides, Ron was bringing Aubrey and Harry and Ginny were probably going to be the center of attention anyways.

"Good morning Hermione." Ginny's voice was lacking its usual enthusiasm. She hadn't taken the breakup well.

"Good morning Ginny." She put her arm around her friend and gave her a squeeze, getting a forced smile out of the redhead. "How are you?"

"I'll manage." Ginny lifted her eyes towards the front door. "I'll see you around." Right as she got up to leave Harry approached the table and sat across from Hermione, a distinct frown on his face.

"What did you expect? She's still pretty hurt you know." Hermione parsed her tone carefully, treading the line between sympathetic and stern.

"Well it's pretty hard to talk to her when she leaves the room every time I come around." Harry grumbled into his toast.

"Well, that's what happens sometimes Yoko." Hermione smiled but Harry and Luke both looked confused. "John Lennon's wife? Broke up the Beatles?" when their confusion continued Hermione blew out an irritated breath. "You'd think the muggle world never existed!"

Harry laughed while Luke looked more confused than ever. Harry finally took pity on him. "She's a little more muggle than most witches." He explained, winking in her direction.

"What do you mean by that Mr. Potter?" she used her false sweet voice, teasing Harry that he was in dangerous waters.

"Just that you know more about muggles than most."

Recognizing the hidden deeper compliment, Hermione smiled as Ron and Aubrey joined them and the boys soon struck up a conversation about how to split the teams for quidditch over the holidays.

 _One thing I'll never understand._ Hermione laughed to herself, _boys and their quidditch._

She eyed Luke carefully. It was rare to get moments where she could observe without having to participate in the conversation, but again nothing seemed amiss. She could still see the mask, but nothing had let it slip.

While the boys made their plans for the holiday, Hermione was forming a plan all her own.


	36. Chapter 36

The last time Ronald Weasley was this nervous walking up the steps to the Burrow was the time he and his two brothers had borrowed his father's flying car, flown halfway across the country, broke into the Dursley home and came home with his best friend.

"Just relax. What's there to worry about?" Aubrey grinned.

"Plenty." Ron felt himself turn a different shade of green.

"Ginny tells me that your parents are wonderful."

"Mum can be a bit…..pushy."

"So, mums can be that way."

"And my brothers….."

"I loved Fred and George, for my part, and I'm sure your older brothers are simply smashing. Now relax."

"They'll take the mickey out of me!"

"So what? That's what brothers do. You were just fine ganging up on me with my older brothers."

Ron grumbled to himself as Aubrey opened the kitchen door, a satisfied smirk on her face. He did admit that the first few days at Aubrey's home in Harwich had been more fun than he had expected.

"Ronniekins! Oh you're home! And this must be Aubrey! Splendid to meet you dear." A brighter even than usual Molly Weasley took Aubrey into a tight embrace and whispered quite loudly over her shoulder to Ron. "See? I always told you you'd find a right lovely young woman didn't I?"

"Mum…." Ron went from green to scarlet.

"Oh hush now, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Why don't you join the others in the orchard while I finish up in here?"

"We'd love to." Aubrey summarily shoved Ron out of the door. "See? That wasn't so bad now was it?...Ronniekins?" she laughed at the now maroon face on Ron.

"Don't you start calling me that too!"

"I'll call you what I like and if you know what's good for you, you'll let me." Aubrey smiled and gave him a small zap on his leg with her wand.

"Oi!"

"Ronald is here." Drifted a dreamy voice as Aubrey and Ron reached the orchard.

"Hi Luna." Ron and Aubrey answered in unison. Luna, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny all came down from where they had been flying. "You've come a long way since your "hating flying" days Hermione." Ron smiled.

"Well, you _do_ get somewhat used to it after a while."

"Where's George?"

"He's at the shop mate." Harry answered, "Left first thing this morning without a word to anyone."

Ron stood mouth agape. "You're joking?"

"Ironically no." Ginny added, "Mum was in tears."

"Well now at least I know why she's so cheery." Ron chuckled. "I bet Angelina is glad to have him back."

"If she has the time. She's been swamped without you around. She came over last night."

"We should drop by later today." Aubrey took hold of Ron's arm.

"Yeah, it'll be fun." Ron and Aubrey each grabbed brooms and Ron kept goal as the other five played a laid back free-for-all game, everyone trying to score passed Ron. He paid close attention to his sister. He saw that face that meant she was keeping it cool when really she wanted to hex someone. He had been the cause of that face one too many times not to recognize it and he had a good feeling he knew what it was about.

"Hey Harry, mind taking goal?"

"Sure Ron." Harry pulled up next to him in midair, "Something up?"

"I'm just going to go swing by the shop and see George." He looked over at his sister, "Hey Ginny, want to come with?"

"Sure." Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"We'll catch up later." Aubrey took the quaffle from Luna, "I've got a new game we can try while they're gone."

Ron and Ginny put their brooms in the broom shed before strolling out of the garden to their usual apparition spot. He took his sister by the arm and turned on the spot, the Burrow disappearing in favor of the crowded pavement of Diagon Alley. They strolled towards the violent purple Weasley premises at the end of the row.

"What's wrong sis?" he kept his eye on her, occasionally bumping into rather grumpy shoppers.

"I'm fine Ron."

"Now come on Gin, I know better than that."

"What do you want me to say?"

"You wanted this right?"

"Of course I didn't. You think I wanted to break up with Harry?"

"No, but you did. Mind you he was being a prat, but you broke up with him."

"Harry obviously doesn't feel the same way about me than I do about him. What else was I supposed to do?"

"I'm agreeing with you Gin, I'm just wondering why you're sulking. You've never handled your other breakups like this."

"Yeah, well they weren't Harry."

"I know you really liked him for a long time…."

"It's not that Ron." Ginny came to a stop in front of Madame Malkin's.

"Then what is it?"

"It's just…" Ginny took a deep breath, "You don't know what it's like to have people have these expectations of you that you're just supposed to fill."

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure we have the same mum."

"Please Ronald, you have no idea."

"No, I don't suppose having Bill, Charlie, Percy _and_ Fred and George to live up to couldn't _possibly_ compare to being precious little Ginny." Ron felt his voice rising of its own accord.

"Oh grow up Ron!"

"Me grow up? Listen to yourself! Feeling all sorry for yourself and frustrated. Because life as the daughter that mum always wanted must be so hard."

" _It is_." Ginny's eyes filled with tears, "You don't get it Ron. I may have been a girl, but I had older brothers to live up to too. Not only Bill and Charlie, but I had another older brother who was the best friend of the most famous wizard in Britain and who got to go on all these wonderful adventures with him and be a hero. All the while mum is having dreams of having Harry as her own son and guess who the only person who can make that happen is? Yes I did like him and yes I did fall for him, but I was also never allowed to forget that mum's fondest dreams of this perfect family were riding on my relationship."

Ron was too stunned to answer and his silence was apparently not enough to stop the loud _crack_ of Ginny disapparating back to the Burrow. Unsure of what to do next, he resolved to finish his trip to the shop.

The doors were bursting with traffic as he squeezed into the crowded joke shop. There seemed to be a buzz in the atmosphere and he distinctly heard several people in the crowd wondering where the returned Weasley twin was. Angelina was helping customers behind the counter next to a mousy haired wizard Ron didn't recognize.

"Hi, Angelina."

"Oh hi, Ron. Looking for George?" Ron chuckled to himself at how she was able to carry on conversation while waving her wand to bag items as the mousy haired wizard took payment.

"Yeah, seen him?"

"He's in the back. When you planning on coming back yourself?" Angelina winked at him, "That is, if you have had your fill of chasing after dark wizards."

Ron just laughed as he pushed open the door that led to the back room. There were cauldrons of bubbling fluid everywhere and there was the distinct smell of gunpowder. A loud _pop_ came from the back of the room and alerted Ron to George's presence. He was leaning over a cauldron of what looked like pine tar.

"Hey little bro." George turned a huge smile on his face. "What brings you by?"

"Just wanted to see if the legends were true and you really had come back." Ron clapped him on the back.

"Yeah, well it was time." When George didn't seem inclined to elaborate Ron let the subject drop, "Say where's this girlfriend of yours? I'm dying to meet the woman who's snagged our ickle…"

"She's at home." Ron cut across him, "I brought Ginny with me but we got into an argument."

"You never have been the best with her mate." George shook his head, "Better leave it to a real expert. I'll talk to her when I get home."

"I'll leave it to the expert then." Ron chuckled. "I'm glad you're back."

"Yeah, me too."

Ron wove his way back out into the busy street, his mind wandering back to his fight with Ginny. He really had meant to help, but then again he could say that about most of his fights with her. He had spent so much of his time growing up focusing on his own problems that he had never long considered what it must have been like being in Ginny's shoes. The least he could do was apologize.

 _After George talks to her_. After all, he didn't particularly relish having a face full of bat-bogeys.


	37. Chapter 37

Harry was sweating hard even against the cold, Aubrey's new game was fast paced and they had been playing for almost an hour.

Aubrey said it was based off of a muggle game called "twenty-one" where the object is for one person to be the first one to score twenty one points. The quidditch version consisted of a wild game where everyone was trying to get the quaffle and score while simultaneously keeping everyone else from scoring. Back and forth over the make shift pitch they soared, Harry and Aubrey in particular going blow for blow at one another. Luna too often surprised them with an impressive move and score, though she was also just as likely to come to a complete stop to gaze at something or another.

They decided to call it a tie as they were all exhausted. Aubrey and Luna plopped down in the grass while Harry made his way to the kitchen door, aiming to refresh himself in the loo. It was while climbing the staircase that a sniffle from Ginny's room brought him to a halt outside of her door. It sounded as though Ginny were inside crying.

Harry wasn't sure what to do. While the decent thing to do would be to see what was wrong, he had a strong inkling he was the last person she would want to talk to. Deciding the right thing would be to at least give her the option, he creaked open her door.

"Ginny?" he peered in to find her sitting cross legged on the end of her bed whipping her eyes with what looked to be an old tee shirt.

Ginny sniffed loudly, "Hi, Harry."

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." She took a deep breath and waved her wand, sending the tee shirt flying into a bin across the room.

"Ginny look, I know I didn't do right by you and I'm sorry." Harry felt his stomach churn.

"Harry, I know you didn't do it on purpose." Ginny actually reached out and grabbed his hand, "Can I be honest with you?"

"Of course Gin." His use of her nickname drew a weak smile across her face.

"I knew there was something different about you when you came back. Both times actually. I think, somewhere deep in my heart, I knew that we wouldn't make it as a couple. But you know us Weasley's and how stubborn we are." Ginny chuckled, "I still don't think mum has given up hope, but I think we know better."

"Ginny, if I'm really honest I felt the same way. I wasn't entirely sure being with you was what I wanted or what would last. I felt like I owed it to you and to your brother to try."

Ginny smiled sadly as some fresh tears escaped her eyes. "You know, I wanted _so_ badly for everything to work out. Mum would get her perfect family, I would get my dream guy, hell I could even get Hermione as a sister. Merlin I sound like my mother, but it would have been so nice." She let her hand slip from Harry's, "But I think what I'm starting to discover is that maybe what's expected of you isn't always what's best for you. I mean look at Ron. Everyone here thought he'd end up with Hermione and be an Auror with you. Now he's with Aubrey and thinking about working with George and I have never seen him so happy."

"Yeah, I think I've been learning the same thing." Harry took a seat on her floor, not wishing to dirty anything with his sweaty clothing.

"Oh, Harry." Ginny slid down next to him, "As much as I want to throw a pity party for myself, I can't even begin to imagine your life. You've had things thrust upon you since before you could walk or talk."

"Ginny I've never seen this side of you before."

"Yeah, well in a house full of brothers you don't get brownie points for being a softie." Ginny laughed, "I'm glad you came to talk to me Harry."

Harry simply placed his hand on hers and gave it a gentle squeezed it. He wasn't exactly sure how long they sat like that before Ginny cleared her throat.

"Can I ask you something Harry?"

"Sure."

Just then they were interrupted by Ginny's door opening again.

"Oh….I didn't mean to interrupt." Hermione was standing in the doorway.

"No, we were through. We were just having a little chat is all." Ginny and Harry both stood, Harry giving Ginny a questioning look that she ignored.

"Oh…."

"Glad you made it." Harry turned and shared a smile with Hermione.

Ginny shook her head and laughed. "Go get a shower Potter, you stink."

"Noted." Harry laughed and made his way out into the hallway, sliding past another young man who was standing behind Hermione in the hallway. "Oh, hi Luke. I didn't know you were coming this early."

"My parents decided to go visit some relatives in Ireland and they allowed me to stay." Luke smiled brightly.

Harry shook his hand before again making his way up the stairs toward Ron's room. He felt better than he had in at least a week, his conversation with Ginny having done much to alleviate the knot he had felt in his chest. Maybe now that they had aired out a few things they could be friends again.

He wasn't all that excited about Luke being here, but at least he'd be a good player for some holiday quidditch if the weather held up.

A delicious smell came wafting in even through the steam of his hot shower. As long as he lived, the strongest magic the Burrow would have to offer was the smell of Mrs. Weasley's cooking.


	38. Chapter 38

The next few days were hectic in the Burrow. There was already a crowd and it was getting bigger as Christmas day approached. Bill and Fleur had arrived the day after Hermione and Charlie came in two days after that. By the time Percy arrived with Penelope Clearwater in tow the day before Christmas the Weasley home was fit to burst with people.

Hermione felt oddly at home in the cramped conditions. It was far different than the small affairs she grew up on, but considering the current tenuous relationship with her own family she was grateful to have it. Besides, most of the people in the house felt like her extended family anyways.

While Harry, Charlie, Ron, Luke, Bill, George, Ginny and Aubrey all went out to brave the light afternoon snow to play quidditch, Hermione stayed on her pallet in Ginny's room. She had to make some last minute preparations for her plan.

There were two items on the pallet in front of her: one was a book on arithmancy that Luke had been interested in and the other was a small gold chain with a small golden snitch on it.

The biggest difference in the gifts was that the book was simply a backup plan in case she lost the nerve to follow through with her real plan. The chain was enchanted with a powerful spell that would reveal any concealing magic on the person who put it on. She had done her research to ensure it wouldn't harm Luke, simply pull him out from behind whatever spells he was using to hide something.

The problem was that wasn't sure that she wanted to go through with it. While it was harmless, something about deceiving Luke told her that it made her little better than him. There was also something about the girl Luke had been talking to, something in her voice that bothered Hermione. If Luke really was hiding something sinister, if her life were somehow in danger, how could that girl have sounded so _sympathetic_?

None of it added up to her. She wrapped the two gifts, the necklace in green and the book in red, and placed them next to her pallet. These were not to be given during the early morning scrum, but needed to be handled by her personally.

Hermione spent the rest of the evening debating with herself in her mind. It was becoming harder and harder to justify the use of the necklace. Luke seemed perfectly at ease around the Weasley's and no one seemed to think that anything was amiss. Not even Harry, who had the best instincts for sniffing out trouble that Hermione knew of.

"What's on your mind?" Harry interrupted her train of thought. He took a seat next to her on the bench where she had been watching the snow fall through the drawing room window. "And don't say "It's nothing" because I know better. You've been avoiding everyone all day."

"It's…something." Hermione looked down at her shoes, "I'm just not sure I want to talk about it right now."

"Are you sure?" She looked into his face and saw the concern written in his drawn eyebrows and frown. It reminded her of how Harry had looked at her under a starry night sky almost four months ago and how she had known then she would never have to deal with her problems without him anymore.

"No." Hermione felt her resistance ebb away, "Harry, there's something wrong with Luke."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise, "With Luke? What makes you say that?"

She described to him in detail both what she had observed during their visit to Hogsmeade and the conversation she had overheard at Hogwarts. She could see the gears begin to turn in his mind.

"It seems pretty obvious he's hiding something, but do you think you're in any danger?"

"Honestly? No. Something about how that girl talked to him makes me think it's something different; I just can't put my finger on what."

"Do you know who she is?" Harry stood up and began to pace.

"No, I heard her voice but I didn't see her and it'd be pretty difficult to locate someone by voice at Hogwarts."

"Is there someone you see him with a lot when he's not with you? She has to be someone he trusts."

"No, he's always with his quidditch teammates when he's not with me and no one really sticks out as a confidant or anything."

Suddenly there was a soft knock at the drawing room door and Ron pocked his head in. "Mum is shooing everyone up to bed, just thought I'd give you a heads up." Ron looked from Harry to Hermione, "Something up?"

Harry looked to Hermione and raised an eyebrow. Hermione shook her head to Ron, "No, Harry and I were just chatting. Thanks for the heads up."

Ron looked at Harry expectantly at Harry, but when he kept his silence Ron relented. "Alright then, 'night mates."

"Night." They both chorused back. Ron closed the door and they heard him make his way up the stairs.

"I don't like leaving Ron out of this." Harry said quietly.

Hermione sighed, "I don't either, but I don't want everyone worried about me."

Harry simply nodded and continued pacing. They sat that way for a few minutes in silence, both of them analyzing the possibilities. Finally Harry stopped pacing and sat down next to Hermione again. "Honestly I can't really whittle the possibilities down without any more information."

"I know…"

"What is it?"

"I may have a way to get some more information, but I'm not sure if I should use it." Hermione described the necklace to Harry.

Harry frowned, "I don't like it."

"I didn't think you would."

"Have you tried just talking to him?"

"No…."

"I think you should try it." Harry took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "For all we know this is a big misunderstanding. Besides, nothing seems out of place with him to me."

"You're right Harry." She squeezed his hand back.

"Well it's not too often I've heard that." Harry smiled.

"Don't let it go to your head." Hermione laughed, "Thank you Harry."

"What are friends for?" Harry stood up, "Besides it almost felt like old times again, us sitting here trying to fit the pieces together."

"We've done quite enough of that for a lifetime."

"I don't know, it never loses its appeal to me." Harry stated simply.

Hermione couldn't help but blush, "Oh, Harry."

"Come on, let's head to bed. Tomorrow is Christmas." Harry opened the door for Hermione and she led them up the stairs, coming to Ginny's door first.

She turned and crushed him in a hug. "Merry Christmas Harry."

"Merry Christmas Hermione." Harry squeezed her back and gave her a contented smile before continuing up the stairs towards Ron's room.


	39. Chapter 39

"Merry Christmas mate."

Harry woke up to Ron's voice and a heavy package landing on his chest.

"This one's from "Mione. A book by the feel of it, figures." Ron had already busily begun unwrapping the pile of presents at the foot of his bed. Harry began with the one that was on his chest. It was indeed a book entitled _Aurors Through the Ages_ by the same author of the quidditch book Hermione had given him his first year at Hogwarts. There was a small note on the inside cover:

 _Some reading material for your new line of work. Merry Christmas!_

 _Love,_

 _Hermione_

Harry worked his way through the rest of his packages: quidditch posters from Ron, a new sweater from Molly, a pile of Weasley products from George, a box of Honeyduke's hot fudge from Ginny, a dragon skin coat from Hagrid, and a hand knit pair of wool socks from Kreacher.

"Good haul mate?" Ron made his way over from his own bed.

"Yeah." Harry nodded.

"Let's get downstairs, I smell breakfast." Both boys made their way down to the breakfast table where George, Aubrey, Percy, Penelope, Mr. Weasley, Ginny and Luke were already seated. The table had had to be extended until it nearly touched the walls on both ends in order to accommodate everyone.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked Mrs. Weasley as she piled waffles onto his plate.

"She hasn't made it down yet. Bill and Fleur went for a walk through the village and I'm not sure where Charlie is." She chatted idly while scurrying back and forth putting food on plates. Harry sat quietly as the noise level grew, everyone chatting excitedly and swapping details about their gifts. It was enough of a gift to him to simply enjoy the company of everyone he loved most.

"Harry I'll take that dear." Mrs. Weasley waved her wand and Harry's empty plate made its way through the open kitchen door.

"Let me help." Harry stood up. There was still one thing he needed to take care of.

"Nonsense dear."

"I insist." Harry followed a flustered Mrs. Weasley into the kitchen and closed the door behind them. "Mrs. Weasley…"

"I'm planning on going to see Andromeda later if you would like to tag along." Mrs. Weasley had her back turned as she watched the sink fill itself with water.

"That would be great, but I want to talk about Ginny." Mrs. Weasley noticeably stiffened. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Mrs. Weasley didn't say anything, the sink filled with water and with two flicks of her wand she mixed soap in and the dishes began to wash themselves. With nothing else to preoccupy her, she heaved a sigh and turned to Harry.

"It's alright dear, it's nothing that the two of you can't find your way through. Arthur and I had our fights too." Her voice had a false cheeriness to it that made Harry cringe.

"Mrs. Weasley, I'm not going to get back together with Ginny."

"Nonsense dear, you just hit a snag is all."

"Mrs. Weasley…"

"Harry dear," her fake smile faltered and a tear appeared in her eyes, "would you kindly run upstairs and see if Charlie is in his room?"

"Mrs. Weasley, I'm sorry things didn't work out with Ginny and I'm sorry if I hurt her in any way. I certainly didn't mean for things to work out this way, but we really are through." Harry watched as Mrs. Weasley's veneer finally cracked and she surveyed him with watery eyes.

"Harry dear, you can't really mean that can you?"

"'Fraid so." Harry shrugged.

"But everything was going to be so perfect." Mrs. Weasley blew her nose into a handkerchief, "You would marry Ginny and be my son and Hermione would marry Ron and be my daughter….and it's not that I don't like the new girl, but why couldn't they have at least _tried_ to work things out?" Mrs. Weasley was sobbing now and she took a seat on a stool. Harry took a step towards her, but froze as she looked over her handkerchief and grabbed his hand. "Are you happy Harry?"

"Yes." Mrs. Weasley let out a fresh wave of sobs before she wiped her eyes and blew her nose again. She stood up and wrapped Harry into a hug.

"Well, I suppose that's all a mother can really ask for." She stepped back and placed her hands on his face, appraising him with pride shining on her face. "I know you hear this often, but you look so much like your father. He's proud of you, you know. Even prouder than I am."

Harry heard James' voice in his mind, " _We are….so proud of you._ "

"I know." He smiled as Mrs. Weasley let out one more sniff.

"Now, run along now I have everything handled here." She shooed him out of the kitchen.

Harry returned to the dining room to find that everyone but Percy and Mr. Weasley had left the table.

"The boys are in the sitting room Harry if you'd like to join them." Mr. Weasley said mid-flow of his conversation with Percy.

"Thanks Mr. Weasley." Harry made his way to the sitting room to find George, Ron, Charlie and Bill all drinking eggnog and trying out a new board game that George had come up with.

"Care to join us Harry?" Charlie turned to face him, offering him an eggnog.

"Sure." Harry took a seat between Charlie and Ron while George explained how the game worked. The game was quite fun, but Harry's mind drifted to Hermione and what she may or may not have found out about Luke.

* * *

"Merry Christmas Hermione." Luke offered Hermione a small golden wrapped package. She carefully untied the bow and neatly unwrapped the paper. "You know it's okay to tear it right?" He grinned broadly at her.

"I know, but it just seems rude to tear to pieces what it took someone time to do." Hermione answered, not bothered at all by the thought that Luke had probably wrapped it by magic. It was a small box that contained a charm in the shape of a book.

"I remember you mentioned one time that you'd like to buy a charm for that necklace of yours."

"Thank you Luke." Hermione smiled, the gift was thoughtful without being overboard. The sick feeling in her stomach had nothing to do with the gift and everything to do with the two shrunken packages she had in her hands. Would she really force out the truth by magic? Or would she trust that Luke would be honest when confronted?

 _Have you tried just talking to him?_

Harry's voice echoed in her mind. If she couldn't bring herself to trust Luke, then she could at least trust Harry's instincts.

She unshrunk the red package.

"Merry Christmas Luke." Luke unabashedly tore off the paper as if to show her how presents were supposed to be unwrapped.

"Oh wow, this is that book from Hogsmeade you had to hear me drone on about. You remembered." Luke's grin went from ear to ear. He was seemingly always happy, but there was something to her remembering that detail that seemed to really make him glow. While she hated ruining the moment, Hermione thought she would perhaps never have a better chance than this.

"Luke, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"What…." She hesitated, perhaps instead of accusing him it would be best to come clean herself. "What were you talking about with that girl in that hallway at Hogwarts? She said something about not getting me involved and that you needed to tell me something. What was that about?"

The smile slid off Luke's face like someone had thrown stinksap on it. "What are you talking about?"

"I was heading to breakfast and I took a shortcut. When I reached the exit I heard you talking to a girl. She said you "needed to tell me" and you refused. She said it wasn't fair that you involved me without me knowing. What was she talking about?" Hermione's voice grew stronger on every syllable. Now that she was confronting him, her indignation about being kept in the dark was building.

Luke frowned. "You weren't supposed to hear that."

"And that makes it somehow better? When were you planning on telling me?"

"When I had no other choice."

"Well I'm not giving you another option, so tell me now." Hermione felt her insides bubble with anger. Only Ron had ever worked her up like this.

"It's not that simple, you don't understand." Luke's voice began to rise.

"Why don't you try me? Or do you take back all those compliments about my, what did you call it, Ravenclaw wits?"

"No, it's not like that."

"Then tell me what is _is_ like." Hermione cast a silencing charm on the door of Ginny's room.

"You have no idea." Luke's voice suddenly went very quiet and his face twisted with suppressed fury. "You have no idea what it is like to be me. Living your life pretending you're something you're not."

"What are you talking about?"

"You probably caught my guard slipping at some point. It becomes really hard sometimes to keep pretending."

"What is it you are…" Hermione was growing more bewildered by the second.

"Do you know why Dumbledore and Grindelwald were such a big deal?" Luke interrupted her.

"What?"

"It wasn't just because they were two powerful wizards. There was a lot of gossip about the two of them. People said a lot of things about the kind of relationship they had. Some folks said they had a falling out over it. It was the hottest topic of the time." Luke was talking faster and faster. "And you know why that is? It's blood. Everything in this world comes down to blood. There's only so many of us right? Witches and wizards. Even fewer of us still who are purely of wizard stock like me. There's a responsibility that comes with that. It's why parents encourage marrying young. They don't want their little boy left without a suitor. It doesn't even enter their minds that little johnny may not even want it, or worse, that he may want something different."

Luke's hands were shaking and a lone tear had escaped his eyes. "You want the truth Hermione? I'm miserable. I'm lonely and angry and just so _miserable_."

Hermione's hand went to her mouth. "Luke….are you gay?"

Luke let out a long breath. "Yes Hermione."

Her mouth simply hung open. This was far beyond anything Hermione could have expected. "Who else knows?" her brain went on autopilot.

"My friend Veronica, Fred and George Weasley, and my parents."

"Wait….Fred and George know?" Hermione gasped.

"Yeah. I was always good friends with the twins, Fred in particular." Luke seemed to deflate a little, "They caught on to why I never seemed to care about the pretty girls. They never treated me any differently though."

"Who's Veronica?"

"She's a first year Ravenclaw I befriended on the train. That's the voice you heard. I told her about it a few months ago after another one of my parents' letters came." Luke's eyes burned with anger. "My parents only care about the family name and bloodline. I'm an only child."

"Then why go out with me? Why pretend to be so interested in me?" Hermione felt her own anger rise in spite of herself.

"To appease my parents. They were threatening to pull me out of Hogwarts." Luke's tone softened, "I'm sorry Hermione. Being with you made them happy, even if you were a muggleborn. I thought that if I made them happy for a while they would forget about pulling me out and then I could tell you and end it."

Hermione simply gaped at him. So she had simply been a pawn in a game she wasn't even aware was being played. Luke stared at her with eyes filled with guilt. She felt her own guilt begin to fester and rise into her throat. While Luke had been playing one game, she had been playing another.

"Luke, I…."

"I'm sorry I hurt you Hermione…."

"No, listen." She interrupted him, "I'm sorry too. I need to be honest with you. The only reason I agreed to go out with you was to get over someone else."

Luke nodded his head solemnly. "Harry right?" Hermione nodded. "I have to admit that I thought there was something there. It was part of the reason I felt I didn't need to tell you. As long as we could both play our game we could both get what we wanted."

"I'm sorry Luke." Hermione exhaled. "But I have to ask: why do your parents care so much? And surely it's just them right? Not every witch and wizard thinks there's anything wrong with who you are."

Luke actually laughed. "You truly are an idealist Hermione. Of course other witches and wizards care. Most do. You really think a society as obsessed with blood and bloodlines as wizards are would openly tolerate people who wouldn't keep it going? Haven't you noticed how anachronistic wizards are?"

"That's appalling." Hermione's temper flared again. "So what if two wizards love each other? All this blood nonsense is absolutely ridiculous."

"Agreed, but as it stands it makes it very hard for people like me to be who they really are. Nobody crossed Dumbledore because he was so powerful. Later in life they dropped it all together once he basically became a celibate and made the world such a noticeably better place. It suited their interests to let it slide."

For a moment neither of them said anything. The truth of the conversation was still sinking into Hermione.

"So what do we do now?" she looked up at Luke.

"I won't hold you to this sham of a relationship. You know the truth about me now, besides I think we both know who you really want to be with." Luke smiled, but it was a small sad smile instead of his perfect grin. There was something more genuine about it and Hermione smiled back.

"But what about your parents? What will you do?"

"I'll tell them it didn't work out. They're not stupid; I can't imagine they really thought it would last."

"Luke you need to confront them. You can't let them force you to live a lie."

Luke sighed. "And what would come of it Hermione? Even if by some miracle my parents had some change of heart, there are still a whole lot of other wizards that would look down at me and no other wizard in his right mind would ever openly love me."

"Luke you can't just give up. It's not fair."

"Of course it's not." Luke's voice shook and another tear slid down his face, "But life isn't always fair." Luke waved his wand to lift Hermione's silencing charm. "I think its best that I go home. I hope you enjoy the rest of your holidays Hermione." He gave her one last sad smile before he turned and walked out the door.

Hermione stood rooted to the spot. The last few minutes played on repeat in her mind while she struggled to make sense of it. She had not expected to end up feeling sorry for Luke or for the injustice that was his life. She had spent her life deploring the plight of magical creatures like house elves and wizards like her who were looked down on because of their birth, but never could she have imagined someone having to live in such misery based solely on who they loved.

She needed space to be able to absorb all of this. She grabbed her winter coat and threw a scarf around her neck. There was a park near here where she often snuck away for alone time. She had no desire to see anyone else, but she knew Harry to be downstairs with the others. Despairing over how to tell him where she was going, she decided that she could send her patronus down. It might raise some eyebrows, but it would be better than having to explain herself in person.

She closed her eyes and remembered the moment Voldemort had hit the ground. She had run to Harry and squeezed him with all her might, joy at seeing him alive and triumphant nearly making her heart burst.

 _"_ _Expecto Patronum!"_

Her eyes widened in shock as a large silver doe erupted from her wand instead of the gamboling otter.

 _My patronus has changed._

While her love for Harry was nothing new to her, there was something about having physical proof in front of her that sent her heart racing. She hesitated sending it to him, knowing that if he were to see her patronus now that it would mean she would have to explain why hers matched his.

Then she thought about Luke and how he wasn't free to live life as himself because wizard society made it intolerable. Meanwhile the only thing keeping her from being who she truly was was her own stubborn pride.

Filling the patronus with her message, she waved her wand and sent it galloping down the stairs. There was no turning back now.

Hermione turned on the spot and felt the tight squeeze of apparition as the image of swing hanging from an oak tree filled her mind.


	40. Chapter 40

Harry had taken to watching the Weasley boys play their game. It wasn't as straight forward as the games he was used to playing and he found it was easier to keep track of what was happening as an observer.

It was a complicated role playing game where each of the boys controlled miniature heroes from wizarding history and battled together against things like werewolves, dragons, merfolk and such. There were complicated rules and mechanics about the different heroes and monsters that mostly went over Harry's head. While it was entertaining to watch the magical pieces duke it out based upon the boys' decisions, Harry thought that he preferred thinking about fights from ground level where it was much more straightforward.

Ron's miniature King Arthur was using his shield to ward off a dragon's flames when a silver light behind him drew his attention away from the game.

It was a bright silver patronus in the form of a doe.

Harry's mind went into a log jam. The last time he had seen a patronus like this, it was Severus Snape trying to lead him to Gryffindor's sword.

 _But I watched Severus Snape die._

The doe bowed its head to Harry and then spoke in a female voice that took Harry by surprise.

"Harry, could you meet me in the park on the other side of town? I have something I want to talk about." Hermione's disembodied voice spoke from the doe which then slowly disappeared.

Harry stood rooted to the spot. He had the absurd mental image of Snape using Hermione's voice in a patronus to lure him somewhere, but Harry knew that couldn't be. Snape was dead and in any case wouldn't bring him to harm. That could only mean one thing:

 _Hermione's patronus has changed._

"Wait, I thought Hermione's patronus was an otter?" George appeared next to Harry. The boys had abandoned their game and all of them wore puzzled expressions. All except for Ron who, Harry noticed, sported a grin.

"It was. It's different now." Harry stated simply.

"It could be some kind of trap Harry." Bill put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "I would be careful."

"Who could possibly want to off Harry? Voldemort is dead and all his pals are locked up in Azkaban." Charlie intervened.

"Plenty of people. There were plenty of folks who made off quite well under the false Ministry. They very well might want revenge for Harry ruining their livelihood."

"It's Hermione." Harry brushed off Bill's hand, "There's nothing to worry about." He couldn't stand hearing them talk like that. That part of his life was over.

"If you say so." Bill sounded unconvinced.

"Just let him go. He'll be fine." Ron was still grinning.

"What are you smiling about?" George asked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Ron chuckled.

"I'll be back before long." Harry turned and grabbing a coat from Ron's room made his way outside passed the apparition wards. He took a moment to refresh his memory on the park Hermione was referring to and when he had a strong image in his mind he turned his heel and appeared in front of a rusty black gate. A massive oak tree sat in the middle of a wide and open park, a single porch swing hanging from one of its lower branches. Harry could make out Hermione seated in the swing.

He took measured steps through the shallow snow as a light snowfall continued to pepper his shoulders and hair. Hermione heard his footsteps through the snow and stood up when he came within a few yards. When she turned to face him, her cheeks were rosy and there were tear streaks running down her face.

"Hermione…"

Before he could say more she closed the gap between them and flung her arms around him, placing her head into his chest and sobbing. Harry put his arms around her and held her until her body stopped jerking and the last of her sniffles died away.

"I've been so foolish Harry." Hermione sniffed.

"What happened?" He used his thumb to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

"Luke is….he's not really interested in me. It's over." Hermione looked down at her shoes. Harry felt anger begin to lick at his insides.

"What? That doesn't make sense. He said loads about how great you were. What about all that?"

"I don't know Harry, but trust me when I say that he doesn't want to be with me."

Harry frowned, "But you guys seemed so happy…"

"Harry, if I tell you the truth, do you swear not to tell anyone else?" Hermione looked up into his face.

"Of course."

"Harry, Luke is…..Luke is gay."

"Wait…"

"He's gay. He went out with me to make his parents happy because they were going to pull him out of Hogwarts."

Harry's mind struggled to put the pieces together. "Why were they going to pull him out of Hogwarts?"

"Because they know about him being gay, but they want him to be a "normal" wizard. If he didn't change, they were going to pull him out."

"Why? I don't understand what the big deal is."

"It's a long story Harry. Maybe we can talk about it some other time, for now that's what you need to know."

"So that was the only reason he went out with you in the first place?" Harry's frown deepened.

"Yeah, I guess." Hermione's eyes watered. "After all, it's not like guys are lining up to be with me. I was available and kind of famous and that's all Luke needed."

"Hey now, you are so much more than that." Harry put his hands on her shoulders. "You are the most brilliant witch I know."

She looked down at her shoes again and sniffed. "Yeah, well I don't feel all that brilliant right now. I feel pretty stupid for believing he was really interested in me."

"Hermione." Harry's voice was firm and he reached down and brought her chin up to face him, "You are _not_ stupid."

A fresh tear escaped her eyes. "No Harry, I am stupid." She heaved a deep sigh, "I had my own reasons for going out with Luke."

Harry hesitated. "He's a good guy, that doesn't make you stupid for wanting to be with him."

Hermione laughed bitterly. "Harry, don't play dumb. You saw my patronus."

Harry's heart began to race. He knew in the back of his mind what the change in her patronus meant. He knew it the instant he saw it. He just couldn't quite believe it was true.

"Harry, please say something."

"Tell me why you went out with him." Harry blurted out.

Hermione heaved a deep sigh. "To get over you Harry. I just got so tired of seeing you with Ginny and being jealous. I got so tired of wishing for something that wasn't mine to have. I thought….I thought maybe if I spent time with someone else, that I wouldn't feel that way about you anymore."

She reached into her winter coat and drew her wand. _"Expecto Patronum!"_ The silver doe appeared next to the two of them, standing serenely in the snow. Its presence seemed to gently warm the air.

"But there it is Harry; there is all the proof you will ever need that I will _never_ stop feeling this way about you."

Like a dam bursting in his mind, memories flooded into Harry's vision: Hermione's lips crashing into his, the smell of coconut, a gentle ruffling of his hair as he lay on the couch, a starry sky above an Australian beach with Hermione leaning against him, the first time she said "I love you", the feel of her crushing his bones in one of her hugs, a little eleven year old girl saying there were more important things than books or cleverness…..

A seventeen year old girl on a staircase.

"Harry, now would be a _really_ good time to say something." Hermione smiled tremulously.

"I…I never thought you could love me." Harry whispered.

A fresh wave of tears appeared behind her eyes. "I've _always_ loved you." Her voice trembled.

"But Ron…."

"I loved Ron because I was so afraid of loving you." Hermione's voice grew stronger. "By the time we left Hogwarts after the Department of Mysteries, I knew without a doubt that I loved you more than anyone else in the world and that scared me Harry."

"All this time?" Harry's voice rose in pitch.

"Yes Harry. I locked it away and tried to hide it. I tried so hard to replace it with something else, but I couldn't do it. I've been in love with you from the start."

Snow began to fall thicker around them. There was a light layer of snow on Hermione's hat and in her hair. The patronus had disappeared.

"Harry?"

Harry had spent his whole life until now relying on his gut to tell him what to do when words or thoughts failed him.

So he did exactly what his gut told him to do.

He put an arm around her waist and with his other hand brought her face to his and put his lips on hers. He felt her flinch and tense for the briefest of moments before her entire body relaxed and melted in his arms. The chill of the winter air was gone and replaced with warmth that started in his chest and worked its way to his toes. His hand went into her hair and his finger wrapped the curls around it. Hermione placed one hand on his chest and the other sent snow falling to the ground as it made its way through his wild mane. Whenever their lips parted for even the briefest of moments, he could hear her breathe his name.

He didn't know how long they stood like that before he finally opened his eyes and they parted just far enough to look into each other's eyes.

"Harry, I…"

"I love you Hermione." He interrupted her.

"Oh, Harry." She brought her lips against his for a long, slow kiss.

When they pulled apart again he gently moved his hand into hers and intertwined their fingers. They walked hand in hand towards the rusty entrance gate. Neither of them said anything. Harry knew there was plenty to discuss and things that still needed to be said, but for right now it was enough to simply feel her warm hand and to look over and see her radiant smiling face.

There would always be time to talk later.


	41. Chapter 41

Ron watched Harry go with a grin on his face.

"George, take over? I need to go find Ginny." Ron stood up.

"She's cooled off about that spat you had so don't spoil it." George slid into Ron's vacant spot, talking over his shoulder.

"I'll keep it in mind." Ron shut the door behind him. He could hear Celestina Warbeck floating up the stairs, which would mean Ginny was going to be in her room. He climbed the steps to the next landing and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Ron opened the door. Ginny was sitting on her floor sorting through photos. "Hey Ginny, what are you doing?"

"Trying to find the best pictures for the scrapbook Mum gave me for Christmas." She picked up one of her, Fred and George making faces in Diagon Alley. Smiling, she put it on top of a small pile to her right.

"Listen Ginny, I'm sorry about our fight." Ron took a seat across from her.

Ginny sighed. "Me too. I know you were just trying to help."

"Yeah, well I never have been much good at that." Ron chuckled.

"It's the thought that counts." Ginny laughed. "Besides, I think I'm slowly coming to terms with it. Mum wants the best for me….for us." She gave him a significant look. "Thing is, I'm the only one who really knows what's best for me. You know?"

"Yeah. I do." Ron smiles, coming to that conclusion wasn't easy for him either. "It makes things a lot simpler, let me tell you."

"I get it now." Ginny looked intently at him, "I really wondered why you seemed so _relieved_ when you came back and you and Hermione were just friends. You seemed happy and I just couldn't get it."

"Sure I was sad at first." Ron shrugged, "But eventually I understood that it was what was best for everyone. Even if it broke Mum's heart not to have Hermione officially in the family."

"Yeah." Ginny lets out a breath. "So, what brings you up here? I know you didn't quit your game just to come apologize."

"How did you…."

"Come on Ron. I can hear you all. These walls aren't made of stone you know."

Ron thought about all the things he had heard come out of Fred and George's room over the years. "Point taken."

"So what's up?"

"Well," Ron paused, unsure of how to broach the subject. "Hermione sent her patronus after Harry a few minutes ago."

"And?"

"Well, you remember from D.A. meetings that it was an otter right?"

"Yes, what's your point?"

"Well now it's something else. A doe." Ron watched his sister pause midway through picking up a photo.

"A doe?" Ginny asked quietly.

"Yeah. You remember what Hermione told us about patronuses and what could make them change?"

"Yeah, I do." Ginny nodded. "So are they, like, together now?"

"I don't know." Ron shook his head, "But I don't think it will be long now. Hermione has felt this way for a while, but I think you knew that already."

Ginny let out a long breath. "Yes I have. I thought for a while that it was a one way street, but I couldn't keep denying the way Harry looked at her." Her eyes began to water and Ron shoved the photo album out of the way to scoot closer. Ginny stared at the wall to her left and Ron saw her swallow hard.

"Ginny…"

"I want them to be happy, I do." Ginny wiped her eyes, "But damn it I loved him."

"I know you did." Ron spoke soothingly, "But you can't force these kinds of things. Think of how miserable we would all be if we did."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"You're going to be okay. You're a beautiful girl and some guy will be really lucky to have you. If I don't hex him first." Ron smiled. "Hermione is your best friend and this is going to make her so happy. Harry too."

Ginny kept staring at her wall, tears gently falling down her cheeks. "Can I be alone Ron?" she whispers.

"Yeah. Always here if you need me." Ron stood up and made his way to the door.

"I know." She whispered behind him.

Ron closed the door softly behind him.

 _Poor girl._ He thought to himself. _I hate to see her so upset, but this is how things are supposed to be._

Ron made his way back downstairs to watch his brothers, who had retired the board game in favor of exploding snap. In the back of his mind he pictured his sister in her room crying and for a brief moment felt his confidence waver, but he couldn't be convinced that the patronus he saw come gliding in earlier wasn't a confirmation of something he had known for months now.

There was no one on earth who could match up to Harry when it came to Hermione and if the boy would just open his eyes, he would realize that no one meant as much to Harry as Hermione did.

He had watched them for years. Seen the looks they gave one another. Heard them finish each other's sentences and complete each other's thoughts. He had seen the devotion spilling from Hermione's eyes and the contentment on Harry's face.

He'd spent so much time being jealous and looking after what he thought he wanted that it hadn't dawned on him until this past summer that there really wasn't any other way things could be.

It was what was best for everyone. And they would be so bloody happy together, if only the two bludger heads would get around to admitting it.

Just then, Harry walked in and there was snow on his jacket, his hair was a mess and he had a huge grin plastered across his face.

 _It's about damn time._


	42. Chapter 42

The next day went about as well as Hermione could have hoped.

While neither her or Harry were calling themselves a couple yet, word had spread through the house like wildfire about their encounter in the park. Ron had simply smiled and said "I told you so." Aubrey had given them both a wink when she had left that night. Neither George nor Percy had seemed to care, past George taking the mickey out of Harry for showing up freshly mauled. Ginny had been quiet, but had told Hermione at dinner that she was happy for them. Bill and Fleur had left the day after, but not before Fleur had the chance to tell everyone who would listen that she had known all along that Harry and Hermione were meant to be. Charlie had rumpled Harry's hair and said he had seen it coming ever since Hermione had nearly jumped him after the first task of the Tri-Wizard tournament.

Mr. Weasley had quietly assured them that he was happy for them, though he had kept his peace around Molly aside from chastising her to "Let it go, dear."

Mrs. Weasley hadn't stopped pestering them as to how long they had known and if this was the real reason they had broken up with Ginny and Ron. While Harry had been truthful and said that it had been a factor, even if he hadn't known it at the time, Hermione insisted that her and Ron had nothing to do with Harry.

Mrs. Weasley didn't seem to buy it and resorted to pouting and ignoring them whenever she wasn't pestering them. While it was frustrating, it was much better than how Hermione pictured it being.

Hermione was tucked away in her favorite reading spot in Ron's window when Harry found her after dinner.

"Hiding from Mrs. Weasley?" He smiled, taking a seat on the floor next to her.

"That and trying to get some fun reading in before schoolwork sets in again." She placed her bookmark and shut the book.

"What's that?"

"Bram Stoker's "Dracula", it's a muggle novel about a Transylvanian vampire." She faced the book cover towards Harry.

"Sounds interesting."

"Maybe I'll let you borrow it when I'm done." Hermione slid from the window sill to sit next to Harry. "You're not mad about me not wanting to be "together" just yet are you?"

Harry shook his head. "Of course not. You have a good reason."

"I just feel like I'm leaving you waiting."

"Hermione, you're fresh off of a relationship and so am I. Besides, I'm not going anywhere." He reached down and took her hand. Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"That's good to know." She leaned her head against his shoulder. She truly wasn't ready for the labels of a relationship, but leaning against him and knowing that it was really going to happen made her light headed.

"Can I ask you something Hermione?" Harry squeezed her hand.

"Of course Harry."

"Why did you try to hide the way you felt about me?"

Hermione frowned. "I already told you that I was scared. I was scared that loving you would get us both killed. I was scared that Ron wouldn't want to be our friend anymore. Most importantly Harry, I was scared that you would never feel the same way about me."

Harry's eyes were wide with curiosity. Hermione laughed, "I know, not very Gryffindor-like of me at all to be so afraid and to let that fear keep me from being with you."

"I don't think any lesser of you." Harry replied quietly. "To be honest I never thought you could feel that way about me. I always thought that you loved me more like a brother or something."

"I remember Ron telling me you said that." Hermione felt her face broaden into a grin, "But Harry, how could two only children know anything of what that's like?"

Harry chuckled, "I guess you have a point. Ron mentioned one time that you told him that you fancied me, back in fifth year?"

"I did, but I told him that I was over it."

"How did that even come up?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"When we were trading stories later that summer about the Department of Mysteries, I guess there was something about the way I talked about you that gave it away to him. So he asked and I told him the truth." Harry nodded his head, Hermione felt her smile falter. "Harry, why couldn't I have just faced my fear? We could have had all this time."

Harry shook his head. "It's not that simple Hermione. I knew you were important to me, but remember I didn't think you would ever think of me as anything more than your best friend. I was convinced that you and Ron were going to be together and quite honestly I never thought…"

"You would survive the war." Hermione finished for him. Harry nodded. "But you didn't know about the horcrux inside of you until…"

"I was a teenager going against the most powerful dark wizard who ever lived. I knew I would face him and hopefully kill him, but I never really thought about life afterwards because I didn't think there would be one. That's why…"

"You broke it off with Ginny." She finished again. The two sat in silence for a moment, both of them looking at their feet. Harry broke the silence with a laugh. "What is so funny Harry?"

"You said yesterday you loved me from the start right?"

"Yes."

"I finally get what happened in the potion puzzle room in first year, remember? You gave me a hug and said there were more important things?" Harry grinned.

Hermione felt herself blush. "Yes and I purposely withheld a word if you remember."

"I do, you said "…friendship, bravery, and…" and you were going to say "love" weren't you?"

"I was, but I was scared. I was also eleven, so I wasn't even sure what that meant."

"Is that hindsight talking?"

"Maybe." Hermione shrugged. Harry was looking fondly at her. "What?"

"I'm just realizing how lucky I am. That's all."

"Oh stop." Hermione felt the heat rise in her cheeks again.

"Seriously." Harry cupped her chin and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. Hermione felt goosebumps climb up her neck and heat rising in an altogether different place.

"Harry, if we're going to do _that_ more often then I'm going to have a hard time with this whole "not together" thing." Hermione said shakily as a brief wooziness came over her.

"That's the plan." And that stupid lopsided grin of his that she loved so much came bursting over his face. She couldn't help herself and leaned in to give him a kiss of her own. Her chest felt like it might explode from the joy she felt bubbling up inside of her. She had only just put her lips on his when her face burst into a grin against his chin and she couldn't suppress the laughter that came rolling over her. She could feel his face still stretched into a smile.

"What's gotten into you?" He asked through his own laughter.

She moved her face until their noses where touching and she was peering directly into his dilated eyes. "I'm just so _ridiculously_ happy."

"I'm happy too."

"I know what we said, but how could we have possibly missed this all these years? I thought we were supposed to be brilliant?"

Harry laughed. "You were always the brilliant one, why don't you tell me?" Hermione closed her eyes and settled her head against his neck, breathing deeply his masculine scent.

"Well I suppose this is something I should get used to." A chuckling voice came from the doorway. Ron was leaned against the doorframe. "And to answer your question Hermione you were both thick as a troll to have not cottoned on sooner."

Hermione and Harry both untangled themselves and stood to their feet, Ron laughing again. "Just as long as you both have your clothes on anytime I run across you we'll be alright."

"Ron!" Hermione felt herself go scarlet.

"Relax, I'm joking." Ron settled himself onto his bed. "Though this is my room, so may I suggest some more private snogging spots?"

"Sorry mate." Harry mumbled.

"It's nothing. It really is about time you two got your heads out of your arse and got together."

"We're not really together." Harry cleared his throat.

"Well whatever it is you want to call it, it's about time." Ron waved his hand airily.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Of course mate. I've known for ages about Hermione and had my suspicions about you. We all got here and none of us are really worse for wear. I'll call that a win any day."

"What about Ginny?" Harry sounded unconvinced.

"She'll be okay. She's upset, naturally, but she's cottoning on like I once did."

"What do you mean by that?" Hermione interjected.

Ron smiled. "Oh come off it Hermione, we talked about this. I knew the instant you offered to follow him to your death that you loved Harry more than me. We may have been stubborn and thought we could make it work, but if you and I were both honest we knew all along that you and Harry was what was best for everyone. It finally sunk in for me somewhere between Australia and that night at the party."

Hermione felt prickling behind her eyes. "Oh, Ron…"

"I'm happy Hermione." Ron held up his hand. "I'm honestly happier than I've ever been. My two best friends are happy and I'm lucky enough to have the most beautiful, wonderful woman in the world. No offense."

Hermione smiled. "None taken."

There was an awkward pause before Ron dramatically yawned. "Well kids I think it's time for me to call it a night so why don't you love birds go find a quiet broom closet?"

Harry took Hermione's hand and led her to the door, pausing briefly to turn back towards her. He gave her an exaggerated grin and a wink. "Maybe we'll do just that."

The door shut behind them to Ron faking gagging noises into his pillow.


	43. Chapter 43

Harry found it supremely ironic that for all those years people thought there was something between him and Hermione, now that there actually was something going on between them nobody seemed to notice or care.

Granted, their friends weren't exactly going around telling everyone and Harry and Hermione both were keeping any displays of affection private. He knew Hermione wasn't ready yet for everything that came with being a couple, so the only differences between their friendship from before and now were the good night kisses.

Two weeks went by with the most exciting thing happening being Peeves letting loose a horde of snakes during a Herbology lesson, creating a brief stampede of first years. Harry was sitting next to Hermione during lunch hour when Neville took a seat opposite him.

"Afternoon, Harry."

"'lo Neville." The man sitting opposite Harry was barely recognizable from the shy and nervous boy he had shared a dorm with for six years. "Sorry I haven't made it up to Gryffindor tower much."

"It's alright Harry, I know you have a lot on your plate." Neville looked at Hermione and then back to Harry. "Though I was actually wanting to ask you a favor, if you could spare the time?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Can you help me with my dancing? The Winter Ball is next week and I'd rather not be stepping on Hannah's feet."

Harry choked on his drink. "Me? Help you with dancing?"

"Oh come on Harry. You were dancing just fine at your Head Boy party." Hermione didn't even look up from the Daily Prophet.

Harry felt himself blush. "Still, I'm not exactly someone who could teach it…"

"Well since Harry insists on being insufferably unsure of himself, then I'll help you Neville." Hermione put her paper down and smiled.

"Thanks Hermione and she's right you know." Neville turned to Harry who kept his gaze focused on pushing his food around his plate. "Well, I'll see you guys around. Just send your patronus later to let me know what you need me to do Hermione."

"Will do Neville. See you."

Harry looked up and watched Neville rejoin Hannah. He could feel Hermione's eyes on him and turned to see a look he'd seen a thousand times before. "I'm guessing this is where you tell me something about how I shouldn't be so hard on myself or the like?"

"It would be nice if you at least could see how talented you are." Hermione sighed.

"At what? Dancing?"

"You're just talented Harry. Think about it, how often is it you try something and you're rubbish at it?"

"I'm pretty rubbish at potions…."

"That's only because you don't apply yourself."

"I'm terrible with girls."

"Well, there is that, though I suppose you won't need to worry about that anymore."

Hermione was so matter of fact and so very Hermione-ish about it that Harry had to smile.

"What?" she gave him a perplexed look.

"Don't ever change." Harry laughed. He took a look around the Great Hall. Hagrid caught his eye, leaning down to have a conversation with Professor Sprout, holding his beard to keep it from tangling in her wild hair. Slughorn was seated between a couple of Ravenclaws, blathering on about some former student. Harry's gaze landed on Malfoy, seated alone at the end of the Slytherin table.

"It's kinda sad, even with him playing so well in quidditch he still sits all alone."

Harry turned to stare at Hermione. He wasn't sure what was stranger: her noticing Malfoy's quidditch play or her feeling sorry for him. Feeling Harry's eyes, she turned back towards him. "What? It is sad. Malfoy has been a rotten apple most of his life, but nobody deserves that."

"Since when have you cared about Malfoy?"

"Harry, the war is over. Old grudges are precisely the kinds of things that make wars inevitable in the first place. Yes, Malfoy was a terrible person, but this a chance for people to start over."

"Hermione you can't expect…."

"I'm not asking you to be his best mate, but we could at least reach out to him. How would you feel if you were in his shoes? And before you say that you have been, remember that you always had Ron and I. He has nobody."

Harry looked again at Malfoy. While the burning hatred he once felt had subsided, it wasn't replaced by anything resembling good feelings either.

"Just think about it Harry." Hermione reached down and grabbed her bag. "I'll catch up with you in Herbology, I'm going to go put some finishing touches on my Potions essay for tomorrow."

Harry's mind flashed back to the Ball and something he had thought about when Neville had brought it up. "Hey, before you go, will you go to the Winter Ball with me?"

Hermione blushed, "I…of course Harry. I'd love to go with you."

"Terrific. I'll see you at Herbology then."

"Yeah, see you." Hermione turned and walked away, passing Ron and Aubrey on her way out. Ron took a seat next to Harry.

"Just where have you been?" Harry asked Ron, then, noticing his disheveled hair and Aubrey adjusting her robes, "Nevermind."

Ron laughed, "So what's got 'Mione all flustered? She looked as red as my hair."

"I'll bet a certain someone asked her to the Winter Ball." Aubrey reached across Ron for some treacle tart.

"What would he need to do that for? She's his girl now, isn't that kinda obvious?"

"It's a lovely romantic gesture Ron." Aubrey rolled her eyes in Harry's direction. "So, am I right?"

"Yes."

"Smashing." Aubrey turned back to her treacle tart.

"We're still throwing the after party right?" Ron asked, his mouth fit to explode. Aubrey rolled her eyes again. "Room of Requirement at midnight?"

"Yeah, Hermione and I checked and it still works."

"Great. I'll have to get with George and see if we can't sneak in some of his stuff."

"You're a Prefect Ron!" Aubrey elbowed him.

"And? You're a Prefect too and you didn't seem to mind…."

"Shhhh not so loud Ronald." Aubrey turned scarlet.

"Well I'll catch you guys later." Harry grinned and picked up his bag. He was a couple of steps from the front door when he looked again at Malfoy. Taking a deep breath, he walked passed the door to where Malfoy was seated.

"Potter." Malfoy didn't look up.

"Hey…" Harry took another deep breath, "Listen we're having an after party after the Winter Ball. It's in the Room of Requirement at midnight."

Malfoy froze for a moment before pouring some more water into his cup. "And you're telling me this why? To rub it in my face?"

"I'm telling you because you're invited." Harry forced himself not to grit his teeth. Malfoy looked up and couldn't hide the surprise on his face. "You know…if you wanted to come."

Harry and Malfoy looked at each other for a long time. Malfoy seemed to be trying to find the catch.

"Alright." Malfoy looked back down at his plate and Harry recognized his dismissal. Turning back towards the door, Harry noticed that Ron was staring Malfoy down and even Neville was trying to be surreptitious about watching out of the corner of his eye. They had both slipped their hands to their wands.

"Wait." Malfoy's voice made Harry stop and turn around. "Thanks, Potter."

Malfoy hadn't looked up and hastily leaned below the table to reach into his bag for something, but he had said it. Harry stood stunned for a full second before finally making his way out of the Great Hall.

It had grated against everything inside of him, but maybe Hermione was right. The more Harry thought about it, the more he thought of Sirius and Snape. How two grown men had still hated each other mostly because of an old grudge from their Hogwarts days. It seemed frivolous now.

Maybe there was a second chance for him and Malfoy after all.


	44. Chapter 44

"Don't watch your feet; you want to be looking up at me."

"I'm trying; I just didn't want to step on your feet."

"I know, but that is why we memorize the steps so you won't have to think about them." Hermione waved her wand at the record player, "Now one more time tonight."

Neville lead her in the first few steps of the dance beautifully. He caught the front edge of her toe right before the verse ended and kept looking down after that, but it was a vast improvement from when they had first started. Her feet had been sore for quite a while after their first session.

"Very good Neville, you're coming along smashingly. Hannah will be blown away." She gave him an encouraging smile. "Want to meet one more time before the ball?"

Neville blushed, "No, I think I got the hang of it now. I really appreciate this Hermione; sorry for all the times I stepped on you."

"It's quite alright, it happens." Hermione waved her wand again to switch the record player off. "I'm more than happy to help."

"So how are things with Harry?" Neville bent down to take his dress shoes off.

"They're great."

"You know, I always wondered about you two. You were always very close."

"He's my best friend." Hermione smiled, "Always has been."

Neville smiled and shook his head. "So I have to ask, was it you that put Harry up to inviting Malfoy to the after party?"

"I didn't put him up to anything. I simply pointed out how sad it was that Malfoy didn't seem to have anyone that cared, no friends to speak of."

"I see."

"Though I agree with what Harry did. You'll be nice to him won't you Neville?"

"It's a little hard to be all chummy with him all of the sudden," Hermione rolled her eyes, "but I suppose I'll do my best. Thanks again Hermione, see you around." Neville walked passed her and out into the second floor corridor. They had been practicing in an empty classroom. Hermione put away the record player and record she had borrowed from the library and took a seat in a chair, enjoying the silence. It wasn't often she got to pause and just listen anymore.

The sound of footsteps came up to the door and someone knocked softly before pushing the door open.

"Hi." Harry took the chair next to her. "How'd the lesson go?"

"Quite well, Neville really has gotten much better."

Hermione felt butterflies flutter in her stomach for reasons she wasn't sure of. "So, are you ready for the ball?" Harry asked, smiling nervously.

"Not really if I'm honest." Hermione looked at her feet, "Maybe it's just out of habit or for some other reason I can't tell, but I'm still scared."

"I'm pretty nervous too."

Hermione looked up at him and couldn't help but laugh. "Harry Potter? Nervous? You're the bravest person I know."

"Well in hindsight, everything I've ever done looks more stupid than brave." Harry smiled.

"I'd say it all worked out in the end."

"Yeah. This will too you know."

"I know." Hermione reached down and squeezed his hand. She thought of all the times she had been scared and how Harry had always grabbed her hand while they helped each other survive. This wouldn't be any different. "I love you, Harry."

"I love you too."

* * *

"Watch where you're going Malfoy."

Draco never did get used to the sneering of his housemates. He walked out the entrance hall and onto the grounds towards his one sanctuary from the dirty looks and whispered insults. It was a small grove of trees just inside the grounds on the far side of the castle.

He plopped down and heaved a deep sigh.

 _This is not at all how it's supposed to be._

His final year at Hogwarts should have been about making plans for a bright future of Ministry success, basking in quidditch glory and sticking it to Potter whenever he could.

Instead it had been a year's worth of being a bigger outcast than that oddball Lovegood girl. Even his own housemates only gave him short reprieves when he played well in quidditch. With Crabbe dead and Goyle awaiting trial he had no one to turn to, no friends to speak of.

It wasn't fair. None of it. His mother wrote to him weekly, but he had stopped reading the letters ages ago. They always said the same thing. Always prattling on about how they would make it through this and how his father would keep them afloat until everyone stopped hating them. He hadn't spoken to his father in months.

His father had always been his hero, the one person he looked up to the most. He was powerful, connected, liked and _respected_. People stepped aside and tipped their caps when Lucius Malfoy walked by. Draco idolized him, but he hadn't been able to live up to him. His father had strength of will that Draco lacked. Where his father acted with purpose, he had only shown reluctance.

His father loved him, which Draco knew. Lucius would have never abandoned his cause for anyone else besides his beloved son. It was the one thing that kept their relationship afloat. But somewhere between his first and second battle at Hogwarts something had broken. They had both reached their breaking points.

"You know, if you keep that scowl on forever then your face will get stuck that way."

The voice surprised him out of his reverie, the Weasley girl stood a few feet in front of him.

"What?"

"It's something my brothers used to tell me. You look miserable."

"What do you care?" he snapped.

"Who said I cared? I was simply making an observation." She replied coolly.

"Then why are you here?"

"I can walk wherever I please thank you."

He stared into her brown eyes. There was a spark of defiance in her face that complimented her athletic features. If he looked passed the fact that she was a Weasley, he had to admit to himself that she was a pretty girl.

She peaked one of her eyebrows.

"Sorry." He mumbled, looking away at the tree to his left.

 _Was he just checking me out? He can't be serious._

Ginny looked down at Malfoy. He was staring off to his left, purposely not making eye contact. It used to be the sight of him made her want to hex him into jelly, but the person sitting on the grass was a shell of the boy who used to torment her friends. She almost felt sorry for him. She _did_ feel sorry for him.

"Listen Draco, why don't we start over?" she reached out a hand.

He stared back at her in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, let's try and put the past behind us and start fresh."

"Why? Why would you want to do that? What are you people up to? First, Potter invites me to that party and now this." Draco looked like a cornered animal.

"Is it so bad to have people that want to be your friend?" She answered the confused look that flashed across his face before he spoke, "My mum always taught me that there was some good in everyone, if you're willing to take the time to find it."

She could see him thinking hard. _What is he so afraid of?_ She couldn't help but notice his light grey eyes, so cold in all the years she had known him, had thawed and were more the palette of a rainy day.

He finally reached out his hand to her and she firmly shook it.

"Good, now I'm going to finish my walk before the free period is up. You can join me if you like."

She turned away from Draco and walked towards the lake.

He had just made friends with a Weasley. His father would have a fit. Then again, Draco had already begun to wonder if being like his father was really what he wanted out of life.

He still didn't get why she had been so nice to him or why Potter of all people had reached out to him. He had spent all his years here taking joy out of doing what he could to make them miserable. They were beneath him; at least that was what he had been taught to believe. But maybe there was something to them after all. They were willing to forgive or it seemed that way and that was something even Lucius with all of his willpower was unable to do.

Draco rose to his feet and brushed the grass off of his expensive robes. At the very least he had little to lose for trying something new. He headed in the direction of the lake at a leisurely pace, assured his longer legs would catch up to her before too long.


	45. Chapter 45

"How do I look?" Ron turned from the mirror in the dragon skin dress robes his brother had given him.

"Great." Harry fiddled with his bow tie. His insides were churning. He never did like being the center of attention, but the Head Boy and Girl traditionally christened the Winter Ball with its first dance. He was less than enthusiastic.

Still, he'd be with Hermione. That was something.

"What do you reckon is taking the women so long?" Ron whined.

Harry shrugged. Neville appeared from behind his bed. "S'ppose they're getting ready yeah? They'll look great, trust me." Neville looked over at Harry and winked, leaving Harry perplexed.

Just then there was a soft knock and three beautiful women walked in, but Harry only had eyes for the one in the middle. Hermione was wearing an elegant dress that was a deep Gryffindor red that matched Harry's robes. Her hair was shorter and fell in delicate curls.

All three boys stood in silence, taking in the sight. "I think we've made an impression." Aubrey giggled, reaching forward to straighten Harry's tie. Hermione faked a cough, "Don't worry 'Mione he's all yours. Just helping the poor lad out is all."

"What do you think Neville?" Hannah spun on the spot.

"Smashing." Neville smiled. He took her by the arm and they made their way out the door. "See you guys downstairs." Hannah waved as the door shut behind her.

"It's not fair that Neville got to cheat." Aubrey said over her shoulder, now retying Ron's tie.

"What's she mean by that?" Harry asked Hermione.

"Oh, we had this agreement that the boys wouldn't see us in our dresses ahead of time." Hermione answered.

"But she let Neville cheat." Aubrey said, "Neville got to see her when they did their last practice."

"I just thought he should practice with the longer dress in play is all." Hermione sighed. "It's not like Harry saw me or anything."

Aubrey tutted, "I wonder sometimes how you got your straight laced reputation Granger. Come on Ron let's get downstairs." She pulled Ron by the hand who gave Harry and Hermione a wink before he followed her out the door.

"You ready?" Harry looked down at Hermione, his insides loosening a bit as he grabbed her hand.

"Yeah." She answered back.

"You look great."

"Thanks." Hermione blushed. "Let's go."

They made their way leisurely down the staircase, until they reached the door to the Great Hall which was shut. A din of chatter could be heard on the other side of the door. McGonagall was waiting in her conservative black dress robes.

"Are you ready to begin?" She asked, a rare smile spreading across her hawkish features.

Harry and Hermione both nodded their heads. McGonagall pushed open the door as Hermione took Harry's arm.

"Introducing, your Hogwarts Head Boy and Head Girl. Mr. Harry Potter and Ms. Hermione Granger." McGonagall's voice rang over the now hushed crowd, which split to make a pathway of sorts leading to the large dance floor at the front of the room.

Harry kept his eyes straight ahead and he felt Hermione's grip tighten on his arm. There were hushed whispers on either side of them. After what seemed to be the longest walk of his life they finally reached the center of the dance floor. A classical ballad floated across the hall. Harry turned and offered his hand to Hermione. He noticed how she was worrying her bottom lip and her brow had tightened. He pulled her close to himself, getting her to look up at him.

He gave her a reassuring smile. Her face relaxed and she gave him a soft smile in return. They began to dance, Harry trying hard not to look anywhere but Hermione's brown eyes. Her soft warm hands effortlessly followed his movements and her body seemed to fit with his like a glove whenever they drew close together. He saw in her eyes complete confidence whenever he dipped her, she trusted him completely.

He was crazy about her. It came across him like the gentle waves of the lake. He was madly in love with the woman in his arms and he didn't give a damn who knew it. In fact, he felt rather like shouting it from the top of the Astronomy tower.

The song reached its final notes and Harry pulled her very close, he could almost feel her nose brushing against his and he could feel her breath on his lips. The crowd began to clap awkwardly.

He grinned at Hermione. She arched an eyebrow, "Harry, what.."

But she never got to finish. Harry put his hand on her cheek and put his lips against hers. He felt her freeze up for the briefest of moments, before she relented and returned his kiss in kind. He could vaguely hear someone wolf whistling beyond his heart pounding in his ears.

By the time he returned to his senses and they broke apart, the lights had gone down and the student body had joined them on the dance floor for a lively jazz number.

"Well, they'll be talking about that one for a while." Ron appeared behind Harry, clapping him on the back. "Real smooth Harry."

"Shut up and dance Ronald." Aubrey tugged his arm, pulling him back into the crowd.

"So, care for another dance?" Harry turned back to Hermione.

She had a funny expression on her face, one Harry had never seen before. "There will be all night to dance, I have something else in mind."

Hermione pulled Harry through the crowd towards the open doors.

* * *

Ron spun Aubrey around, her laughing barely audible over the music and the people around them.

"Ron what are you doing?" she giggled.

"Improvising." He grinned, spinning her around again, before pulling her back and dipping her.

"This isn't how the dance goes."

"Your point being?" He brought her face to face with him.

She pushed her hair back out of her face. "My point being that you're crazy." She laughed.

"Yeah, but you love me for it."

"Confidant one aren't you?" Aubrey smiled before taking a look around, "Say, where's Ginny? I haven't seen her."

"Good question." Ron scanned the crowd. "Why don't you go find us a table and see if maybe she's there I'll look around."

"Okay."

Aubrey disappeared behind a couple of Ravenclaws. Ron skirted the edges of the dance floor, looking for his sisters' red hair. He was just finishing up one complete lap when he caught sight of her at the edge of the room against the wall, talking with a tall blonde haired boy.

Ron sighed, his sister really was more popular with boys than he cared for. He took a few steps towards them before his frown deepened, he recognized now who she was talking to.

"There a problem here?" He took the last few steps in giant strides.

"No," Ginny answered airily, "No problem here."

"Weasley." Malfoy's brow furrowed, but it wasn't the usual sneer Ron had heard for so many years.

"Why don't you come with me and we'll go find Aubrey, she's getting us a table." He took Ginny's arm.

"Okay, why don't you join us Draco?" She turned back to Malfoy, who hesitated.

Ron leaned in to whisper in Ginny's ear. "Why are you inviting him?"

"Because he's a friend."

"Friend? _Him_? But it's Malfoy." Ron wasn't whispering anymore.

"Yes, Ron, a friend." Ginny yanked her arm away from him. "And so what if it's him? I can make friends with whoever I want."

"Haven't you forgotten who we're talking about here?" Ron gestured to Malfoy.

"Look, I'll just go." Draco turned to leave.

"No Draco, you're not going anywhere." Ginny glared at Ron, "Why can't you give him a chance Ron? You saved his life, but you can't at least try to look past what he did before?"

"What's going on here?" Aubrey appeared.

"Ginny's trying to convince us that Malfoy here has turned a new leaf." Ron answered.

Aubrey looked from Ron, to Ginny, then to Malfoy. She frowned, "Ginny, what's this all about?"

"Oh don't take his side. You weren't even around for any of this." Ginny waved dismissively at Aubrey. "Don't walk away Draco."

"Weasley isn't going to change his mind." Draco glared at Ron. "And neither will his little girlfriend."

Aubrey reached for her wand. "I won't be so little when I turn you into sniveling rat that you are."

"Stop it!" Ginny drew her own wand.

"Whoa, slow down everyone." Neville suddenly burst through the crowd to Ron's left. He waved his wand and both Ginny and Aubrey's wand flew into his other hand. "Calm down. You're ruining the ball." None of them had realized that the crowd around them had stopped dancing and talking to watch the show. Ron was suddenly grateful a teacher hadn't caught on yet.

"Show's over folks." Ron turned behind him. People turned back to their tables or returned to the dance floor.

"Now what is the meaning of all this?" Neville looked around at everyone.

"Ronald here was being an ass just because I invited Draco here to our table." Ginny fumed.

"Is that true Ron?" Neville turned calmly to Ron.

"Oh come on Neville, its Malfoy! He made your life hell too, would _you_ want him around us?"

"I think," Neville gave Ginny and Aubrey their wands back, "that if Malfoy wants to prove that he's turned over a new leaf, that we should afford him that opportunity."

"Not you too!" Ron couldn't believe what he was hearing. Aubrey's mouth was agape. "Neville,"

"Harry invited him to the after party." Neville cut across them. "I don't know about you, but I'll follow Harry's lead." Neville looked over at Malfoy and nodded. "Now let's try and enjoy the ball."

Neville disappeared back into the crowd, leaving an awkward silence behind him.

"What the bloody hell has gotten into him?" Ron said weakly, "One battle and all of the sudden he's Godric Gryffindor…"

"Let's head to a table shall we?" Ginny grabbed Malfoy by the arm and headed passed Ron towards an open table.

Ron stared at Aubrey who looked just as bewildered as he felt. "Lost her mind she has." He gestured towards Ginny. "Where's Harry? Surely he invited Malfoy to spike his drink with a puking pastille or something."

"I saw him and Hermione leave a few minutes ago." Aubrey actually smiled.

"Leave? What the hell for?"

"Oh Ron, my beautiful Ron, don't ever change." Aubrey giggled and walked towards the table.

"Mad. The whole world has gone mad." Ron took a deep breath and prepared for an awkward evening in the company of Malfoy.


	46. Chapter 46

Music blasted out of the door when Hermione and Harry opened the door to the Room of Requirement. There were huge banners for each house what were edged with white and peppered with moving snowflakes. The lights were low and kept changing colors like the Christmas lights Hermione had seen in her neighborhood as a little girl.

Harry went to get them drinks and Hermione made her way through the crowd. She felt lighter than air. If she didn't know any better, she would almost swear she was glowing. It had already been one of the most wonderful nights of her life.

"There you are, I've been looking for you." Ginny came bursting through the crowd with Aubrey at her side. When she caught sight of Hermione's face her hand went to her mouth. " _Hermione_."

Aubrey gave Hermione a wicked grin and turned to Ginny. "Now let's not make a scene, we'll get her to dish all the details later. I for one don't want to miss the party."

Ginny simply looked from Aubrey to Hermione before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Oh, alright."

Aubrey grabbed Hermione's arm. "Come on, George managed to sneak in firewhiskey."

Hermione pulled her arm away. "Aubrey, you're a _prefect_."

"And you're Head Girl. And yet, here you are." Aubrey gestured. "Come on, loosen up it's a party. Besides, you of all people can't fuss too much about breaking school rules."

Hermione frowned. "That was different."

Aubrey held up her hand. "Now listen here. You're about to leave here and go on to be Minister of Magic or what have you and live your wonderful life with the savior of the world. You'll be too busy then to drink too much with us, so you're going to drink too much with us now. I won't take "no" for an answer."

"Come on Hermione, let's live a little. Merlin knows we haven't been able to before." Ginny pleaded.

Hermione looked at her two best friends and sighed. "Alright, but _one_ drink and then…"

"Oh we'll see about that." Aubrey grinned wickedly. "Come on let's go."

Someone in the crowd caught Hermione's eye. "Go ahead I'll catch up."

"I'm holding you to it Granger." Ginny and Aubrey disappeared.

Hermione inched her way around some Ravenclaws to tap a boyishly handsome man on the shoulder. "I'm glad you could make it."

Luke turned around and gave her that charming smile of his. She wondered how real it was. "Glad I was invited, though by the looks of it the whole school was invited."

"Yeah, that'll be Aubrey's doing." Hermione shook her head.

"Listen, Hermione.."

"Luke it's okay."

"Um, okay."

An awkward silence hung in the air. "So, how are things with your parents?"

Luke hesitated. "We erm, we had a fight."

"So you did talk to them."

"Yeah, we had quite a row. Dad wanted to kick me out, but Mum talked him out of it. They tried to pull me out of Hogwarts, but once I pleaded my case with McGonagall she helped convince them to let me finish."

"That's great." Hermione smiled tremulously, "So, what now?"

"I don't know." Luke sighed, "I'm not ready to be open about _that_ just yet, but I've decided it's not fair to me to live a lie."

"Well, you'll always have my support." Hermione put her hand on his arm.

"Thanks, I'm just sorry I got you involved."

"It's alright." Hermione felt a hand snake around her waist from behind.

"There you are. Hello Luke." Harry appeared from behind her.

"Hi Harry." Luke replied nervously. "I was just going."

"No hard feelings Luke." Harry said.

"Well I need to be going anyways. See you around." Luke waved and disappeared towards the exit.

Hermione turned to Harry, who had a thoughtful expression. "How is he?" he asked.

"He's okay." She put an arm around his waist. "I think he's getting there at least. I just wish he didn't have such a hard road ahead of him."

"If I know you, you'll do whatever it takes to make it better." Harry squeezed her.

"Thanks Harry." She gave him a squeeze in return.

"Hermione!" a pair of female voices came lofting over the music.

"I think someone's looking for you." Harry grinned.

"Yeah, they want to get drunk tonight." Hermione frowned. Harry actually started laughing. "What's so funny?"

"I would pay a hundred galleons to see you drunk."

" _Harry James Potter_!" she removed her arm from him like he was a hot iron. "You sound like Ron." She scoffed.

"Well he's on a table in the corner singing the national anthem, _badly_ , so I hope I don't sound like him."

"And he's a prefect. Irresponsible." She muttered.

Harry gave her a peck on the cheek. "That's my Hermione." Another loud shout of "Hermione!" burst over the crowd. "Now go on, I'll catch up with you later."

Harry slipped out of sight. Hermione felt a little lurch in her stomach seeing her go.

 _He's safe. No one is trying to hurt him now._

It was the same calming thought she had told herself time and time again for months anytime Harry and her were apart. It happened less and less now and she looked forward to the day she didn't have to tell herself anymore.

But he was hers now and she was going to take care of him. That thought made her feel warmth in her chest.

"Hermione! Come on!" two pairs of hands reached from the crowd and pulled her towards a small bar in the back.

* * *

Harry chuckled to himself as he watched Hermione get dragged away by Ginny and Aubrey. He knew Hermione would have a good time. Especially once she figured out Luna was waiting for her up at the bar.

Harry stood in a corner and scanned the crowd. Practically everyone in the school was here and even some former students like Luna and George had come. He'd never tell Hermione but he and Ron had helped George clear out and widen the passage from the Shrieking Shack for that purpose. The invisibility cloak still had its uses.

He had never quite gotten used to parties. It suited him to stand here and watch his friends cut loose for a little while.

He watched Ron make a fool out of himself with George egging him on in the corner. He was now singing the Hogwarts alma mater at the top of his voice.

Draco Malfoy walked by and gave Harry a curt nod.

"Potter."

"Malfoy."

It wasn't terribly friendly and Harry didn't think it ever would be, but it was better than nothing.

He saw Draco take a seat next to Ginny at the bar. Aubrey and Ginny gave Hermione her first shot of firewhiskey and Hermione nearly gagged it back up with Luna watching serenely. Neville and Hannah were dancing to the bluesy number that was playing.

After a little while, Ginny turned and started talking to Draco. It was the most relaxed Harry had ever seen him. It made him feel uncomfortable to think of Ginny being so friendly with him, but he knew better than anyone that Ginny could take care of herself. Luna got up and started to do her own dance on the dance floor by herself. It didn't seem to match the rhythm of the song at all.

Lee Jordan, who was the DJ, switched the music to a slower song. Aubrey and Ron found each other and began a wobbly slow dance. Harry made his way over and he and Hermione joined them.

The four of them continued to dance the night away to song after song. From slow ballads to the Weird Sisters. They even switched partners for a song and Harry learned that Aubrey was an accomplished dancer. The night slowly faded away and people began to trickle back to their common rooms.

"What time is it?" Hermione asked Ron.

"Almost seven." Ron answered.

Hermione turned back to Harry. "Let's go watch the sunrise."

"Yeah." Aubrey chimed in. "I bet the top of the Astronomy tower would be a great view."

"Love, that's a lot of stairs." Ron hiccupped.

"Don't worry Ronniekins I'll hold your hand." Aubrey teased. Harry and Hermione laughed.

"You coming Gin?" Harry turned towards the bar to see Ginny leaning heavily on George.

"'Fraid she had a bit much." George chuckled. "I'll make sure she gets to Gryffindor tower."

"I love you Fred." Ginny mumbled.

George winced. "Come on dear, let's get you upstairs."

"What about Draco?" Hermione pointed to where Malfoy had passed out at the bar.

"I'll throw some water on him once she's taken care of." George said over his shoulder, carrying Ginny out the door.

"Come on; if we're going to catch the sunrise we better get moving." Aubrey tugged on Ron. The foursome made their way out the door and started the long climb to the Astronomy tower. Somehow, it had been left unlocked and they each took a seat on the ramparts, Hermione conjuring blankets, jars and a couple of blue bell flame charms to stave off the cold.

"You're bloody brilliant." Ron drunkenly patted Hermione's hand.

"And you're drunk." Hermione sighed. Harry and Aubrey laughed.

Harry and Hermione snuggled together under one blanket with Ron and Aubrey under another. The sky was a pale grey as the sun began to rise behind the hills.

Harry looked from Ron, to Aubrey and finally to Hermione. He wouldn't have been able to imaging this time last year that they would be sitting here in total peace. He had come a long way with Ron and Hermione and there was a long way ahead of them with Aubrey in tow.

The sun finally crested and Hermione squeezed his hand tight and leaned into him. Dawn seemed to capture everything Harry felt about his friends and the girl sitting next to him better than he could have put into words.

"Everything has changed, hasn't it?" Hermione whispered.

"Yes, it has." Harry answered.

He looked again at Ron and Aubrey who had fallen asleep leaning against each other and looked in Hermione's bright brown eyes.

"Yes it has."

The End


	47. Chapter 47

**Epilogue**

* * *

2 May, 2000

* * *

Harry's chest finally expanded back outwards as the unrelenting pressure eased off.

"I never will get used to apparition."

"I _did_ say we could take the Floo network." Hermione sighed.

"Yeah, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to actually apparate onto the grounds."

"Why? Because I spent the better part of seven years telling you that you couldn't?"

Harry grinned and Hermione exhaled. "Whatever will I do with you Harry?"

He offered his arm and they walked the winding path past the quidditch stadium and towards the tall towers of Hogwarts. A crowd had gathered in the front courtyard. When they got close enough to discern faces, there was a loud crack and a tall red headed man appeared next to a blonde haired woman.

"Did you have to get so close Ron? We could have apparated right onto someone's head."

"Hey, I was trying to save you a walk. The healer said you shouldn't be walking long distances."

"That's not exactly what she said…"

"Hello Ronald." Hermione tapped him on the shoulder, then wrapped Ron in a tight hug that he returned generously.

"Hermione, Merlin it's good to see you." Ron turned to see Harry, "And Harry, long time no see."

"Not a lot of free time at the Academy." Harry took Ron into a tight embrace. "Aubrey how are you?"

"I'm great Harry." Harry was very gentle when embracing Aubrey. "Being pregnant isn't all it's cracked up to be though."

"Do you know yet?" Hermione excitedly pushed passed Harry.

"Well….we was going to keep it a secret…." Ron waved his hand airily.

"Tell us, oh please tell us." Hermione whined.

Aubrey looked like she might blow up she was trying so hard to hold it in. "It's a girl!" She finally exploded.

Hermione and Aubrey both squealed in delight and hugged each other.

"Congrats mate." Harry shook Ron's hand.

"Mum nearly fainted." Ron looked glowingly at Aubrey. "Said she always wanted a granddaughter. Still hasn't quite forgiven me for not inviting Muriel to the wedding though."

"Have you thought of a name?" Hermione asked excitedly.

"I like Anna Lee." Aubrey answered, "But Ron is really partial to Emily."

The two women talked in rapid sentences while Harry scanned the crowd. There were a lot of Ministry officials present. Kinglsey as well as most of his cabinet were seated on the stage. Directly behind them, the professors were dressed to the nines, though Sprout never could remove all the dirt from her hair. McGonagall alone was in the front row seated next to Kingsley.

There was a large, empty circle in front of the stage and the floor seating was arranged in a semi-circle around it. Many people Harry recognized were seated towards the front. The Weasley family took an entire row and the Longbottom, Tonks and Lovegood families were seated behind them. Harry chuckled to see little Teddy Lupin straining to escape his grandmothers grasp.

"I think they're about to get started." Hermione tugged Harry's arm. Kinglsey had risen from his seat. Harry, Hermione, Ron and Aubrey took empty chairs in the back row.

"Today is a solemn occasion." Kingsley's deep voice needed no amplification. "Today we honor and remember those who gave their lives two years ago, on these very grounds, to defeat the greatest threat wizarding Britain has ever seen."

Kingsley's speech was short but elegant. A few witches in the front rows had begun to cry towards the end. Harry's insides felt like ice. Hermione gently placed her hand into his and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

One by one, Kingsley called out names from a parchment in his hands. After each one a family member rose from their seats and accepted an Order of Merlin: First Class. George Weasley accepted on behalf of his brother. Andromeda Tonks (assisted by Arthur Weasley) accepted for both her daughter and for her son-in-law.

It was while Mr. Weasley was helping Andromeda back to her seat that a hard poke made Harry jump.

"Oi, what was that for?" He whispered to Ron.

"Look." Ron pointed to the back row opposite them. Trying to be as small and quiet as possible, Draco Malfoy slipped into a seat. "What's he doing here?"

"Shh." Hermione hissed.

Harry had his own suspicions as to what brought Malfoy here. He scanned the row of Weasleys until he found Ginny at the very end. Just as Kingsley called out the next name, Ginny turned around and craned her neck. When she caught sight of Malfoy, she smiled and turned back around.

It took quite a while to work through all the names. When the last name had been called and everyone had returned to their seat, Kingsley stepped back to his chair and there was a moment of silence. Harry could hear the creaking of the trees in the Forbidden Forest as they moved with the wind. McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout then stood and took up positions around the empty circle. They each waved their wands in an identical motion and a large stone rose from the ground.

The stone had three identical sides, each with a large blank space in the shape of a house of Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. With another simultaneous wave of wands names began to appear on each side, each in the handwriting of the person in question.

The professors remained standing in their places. Flitwick and Sprout had both begun to shed tears and McGonagall wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. Kingsley again stepped forward to the front of the stage.

"May their example embolden us all to forge a better tomorrow and may they rest in peace."

With that, the crowd slowly began to disperse. Kingsley shook hands with all of the professors before he and his cabinet slipped out the back towards their waiting floo connection. Many of the family members pressed close to touch the name of their loved one on the stone. Most simply apparated away after a brief touch or a few words.

Molly Weasley pressed through the thinning crowd towards Harry.

"Hello dear." She crushed Harry in a hug, wiping away the last of her dried tears. "This was all just so..." But apparently whatever the word was she couldn't say it. "Anyways, are you coming 'round for supper tonight?"

Harry looked to Hermione who nodded. "Sure Mrs. Weasley."

"Thanks for all your help with the house." Hermione gave her a hug. "I was going spare trying to get everything arranged right."

"No trouble at all dear." Molly smiled, turning to Harry. "Your parents would be so happy with what you've done with their home."

"Thanks Mrs. Weasley."

"Now where has that daughter of mine ran off to?" Molly's eyes swept the courtyard.

"As if she has to ask." Ron mumbled under his breath.

"Well I better get going. Arthur left to see Andromeda home. How soon until Teddy moves in with you dear?" Molly turned back to Harry.

"Next week." Harry grinned. He was over the moon about his godson coming to live with him.

"Splendid, well do let me know if you need anything. See you tonight." Molly kissed them all on the cheek before turning towards the Great Hall.

"You know she's going to go ballistic when she finds out about Ginny." Ron looked at Aubrey.

"Well I'm not terribly excited about it either." Aubrey muttered. "Never thought I'd see the day where my child had to call Malfoy "Uncle Draco"."

Ron made retching noises behind Aubrey's back.

"You'll have to let me know how that goes." Harry laughed.

"Well we better get going too. I have to close up shop so we can head to Mum's tonight." Ron straightened himself and reached down to take Aubrey's hand.

"Business booming as usual?" Harry asked.

"Beyond booming." Ron sighed. "And that summer intern we hired is going to be the death of me."

"Be nice Ron, she tries." Hermione soothed.

"Yeah, tries to blow up the place." Ron muttered. "Anyways, we'll see you two later." Harry and Hermione gave them both a wave as they turned their heel and disappeared.

"Want to take a walk around the lake? For old times' sake?" Hermione intertwined her fingers with Harry's.

"Okay."

Before they had made it out of the courtyard, they came upon a short and very tanned wizard who was vigorously shaking the hand of a very uncomfortable looking Luke Morgan.

"Thank you very much sir, I'll have my secretary forward the reports to you." The man wheezed.

"Thanks Wilkins. See you around."

With a crack Wilkins was gone and Luke let out a huge sigh.

"How are things in International Relations?" Harry asked.

"They're great." Luke perked up. "When Wilkins isn't badgering me. How is the Auror Academy?"

"Tough." Harry answered.

Luke nodded, "And I hear that someone is making waves in Magical law." He turned to Hermione who blushed.

"It's not much really. It's just a small policy revision on house elf ownership."

"So modest," Luke shook his head. "Passes the first piece of legislation regarding house elf rights in a thousand years and it's a "small policy revision"."

"She's pretty brilliant." Harry smiled at her.

"By the way," Luke lowered his voice, "I really did appreciate you trying. You know, with that other piece of legislature."

Hermione frowned, "We had a solid presentation, but the opposition was just too heavily entrenched. We're going to get there someday though, I promise."

"The effort matters Hermione. People are talking about it now and that's a start."

"Would you like to come for dinner? We're headed to the Weasleys tonight and I'm sure Mrs. Weasley wouldn't mind."

"I'm flattered, but I actually have a date." Luke rubbed his neck awkwardly.

"Oh?" Harry and Hermione answered together.

"Yeah, it's a guy I met in France actually. It's my first real date with a guy."

"I'm sure it will be great."

"Yeah, good luck mate." Harry and Hermione both answered.

"Thanks, well I better get going. I'll see you guys around."

With a small pop he was gone. Harry and Hermione left the courtyard and made their way slowly down towards Dumbledore's tomb, stopping briefly to each conjure a rose on top of the white marble. There wasn't any sort of sign of the violation that Voldemort had committed; the stone was as pristine as the day of the funeral. The giant squid was drifting lazily on the surface of the shallows as they made their way around the lake's edge. They passed by their favorite tree and Hermione sighed and placed her head on Harry's shoulder.

"It still hasn't sunk in we're not coming back." Harry mused.

"McGonogall said we're always welcome to stop by." Hermione soothed. "Besides, I'm sure we'll find reasons to come here for our own children."

Harry looked across the lake. He could still see the last remnants of the crowd strolling around the grounds. The castle was just as he remembered it the first time he saw it, the lingering damage from two years ago had finally been repaired. His eyes lingered on the quidditch stadium and on the thing he had been twiddling between his fingers for the past few minutes.

"Harry?" Hermione sounded suspicious. It always had been hard to get things by her.

"I wondered if maybe we could try something different?" Harry brought out a tiny broom from his pocket and touched his wand to it. It swelled in size until his full size Firebolt was in his hands.

"Harry, you don't mean…."

"Not all the way," Harry hastily corrected her, "Just for a little while?"

Hermione smiled and shook her head at him. "I suppose I'll have to get used to it someday."

"Smashing." Harry mounted his broom and Hermione gingerly climbed on behind him, reaching her arms around and clamping on tight.

"Let's go home." Hermione placed her head against his back.

Harry gently lifted off the ground and drifted higher. His feet brushed against the top of the trees as they looped around the grounds. As he climbed higher he leaned down to give it more speed as the stadium, Hagrid's hut, the Whomping Willow and the Herbology greenhouses came and went below them. Before long the familiar rush of wind around him engulfed them and Harry's heart swelled.

They flew towards the far mountains as the turreted towers and the sparkling lake faded into the distance behind them.


End file.
